


Year 7: Forbidden Love

by VioletKnox



Series: The Lion, The Snake and The Locket [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Dry Humping, Established Relationship, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love, Oral Sex, Quidditch, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Slurs, Smut, Transfiguration (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:15:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 47,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22036912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletKnox/pseuds/VioletKnox
Summary: You shop with Severus at Diagon Alley and spend a night at the Leaky Cauldron before catching the train to Hogwarts the next day.
Relationships: Severus Snape & Reader, Severus Snape/Reader, Severus Snape/You
Series: The Lion, The Snake and The Locket [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1512518
Comments: 99
Kudos: 266





	1. Time's Swift Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: A bit of naughty touching but no smut

You were never one for clichés, but you could appreciate the beauty in a good poetic metaphor. It’s funny how relative time could be, changing for every person on the planet when all your clocks were synced to a particular hour, each hand clicking away with exact precision. Yet you could feel it pass slower during an exam, you could feel each second stretching when Dumbledore gave his beginning of the year speech, elongated with every year that passed. 

Time flies when you’re having fun. The expression that you only found all the more true as you grew older. Time flew when the words of a page snatched you into an unknown world. Time flew when you were on a broom with nothing running in your head but the goal of victory. But time had never switched gears, running at maximum speed into the abyss of your future when you were with Severus. It was hard to believe that summer had come to an end so soon when you’d barely managed to get through half of the things you had in mind. Still, you’d spent so much of it with Severus, working with him, taking walks after work, talking until nightfall. Nothing else could have made time speed by the way it did these last few months. 

“So, listen,” you said as you both closed up the shop for the day, making your way to the backroom to grab your belongings. “I was thinking, if you’re willing that is…” you paused, blushing at the request you had for him.

“What is it?” Severus noticed you anxiously lowering your gaze to the ground, tucking your hair behind your ear as you walked with your hands clamped shut. Something you only did when you were nervous. He looked down at you as he slipped his fingers between yours in comfort knowing his touch helped you loosen a little. 

“Well, school starts up next week and we still need to buy our textbooks before heading to London. We’ve saved up a lot of money, so I was thinking, maybe we could head to Diagon Alley a day early and-” 

“Take a room at the Leaky Cauldron and catch the train the next day?” 

You giggled as he finished your sentence and quickly spun you around when you stepped through into the dimmed backroom, pulling you into his embarrass by your waist. “Yes,” you whispered. “Exactly.” You wrapped your arms tightly around his neck and peered into his dark eyes. 

Severus felt like you’d pulled him out of a coma this summer, like the definition of joy he’d known for so long was a lie. It was odd how he’d always looked forward to the end of summer, but this year, especially with his father now out of his life, he wanted nothing more than to spend eternity running around with you in the large town of Cokeworth he’d never thought of exploring until you’d dragged him down to every corner, every store the place he’d grown up had to offer. Who knew how far the lake actually stretched, or how vacant the lots were up north. 

He’d watched so many Muggles file through Mr.Davis’s little bookstore, at least more than he’d expected (which was a count less than the number of people who’d chosen to live on Spinner’s End). He’d stocked up on so many books, lining the walls of his home with as many as his mother would allow. He’d never read as much as he did this summer, never smiled or laughed so much in his life. And he couldn’t believe it was coming to an end. 

“Shall I meet you at the bus station Sunday morning?” he asked. You tilted your head and smiled, pulling on his collar to bring him closer as you bit your lip. 

“I have a better idea,” you whispered, your eyes flickering between your hands and the crisp features of his face.

“Oh?”

“Why don’t you sneak into my room Saturday night,” you whispered, lingering your lips over his, denying him the satisfaction of the kiss you so teasingly offered, “And we can fly to Diagon Alley on my broom.”

Severus’ eyes flickered, the corner of his lips twitching into a loving smile. “Are you sure you want me sleeping over?” His voice so delicate, his fingers softly grazing against your cheek like he was afraid of shattering you. Severus didn’t want you to feel obligated to let him into your personal space having learned the hard way the consequences of doing such a thing uninvitingly. 

“I’d love to have you over,” you smiled at him, tilting your head and leaning into his touch. “No one will notice. My room is small, but it’s all mine.”

Severus let his fingers drift down to follow your jaw, hooking under your chin. He brought your gaze up, his eyes searching yours. You slipped your hands down his chest and took fists full of his shirt, lightly tugging forward, daring him to make a move. 

“I can always just wake up early and meet you at your place if you’d prefer.” He almost choked on his words watching the lust swim in your eyes. You smirked, listening to his voice crack in defeat. He didn’t mean what he said, you knew he was only concerned about overstepping. 

“No, we both need our sleep,” you said pressing your fists into his chest, pushing him away ever so slightly. “Besides, you’d have to wake up way too early to come over before sunrise if we want to stay hidden from Muggles while flying.”

“Mmm, how dare they wake up and look at the clear summer sky,” he mumbled sarcastically, watching as you took a step back, pulling him along with you until you let him go completely and made your way to the back of the room.

“Yes, what type of animal would do such a thing,” you jokingly added. Severus smiled as he walked behind you, watching you slug your bag over your shoulder before doing the same. 

You turned to make your way out when you felt his arm slither around your waist, pulling you into his chest and his lips gently press against your temple. You closed your eyes and revealed in his low self-restraint, taking whatever affection he could get from you. 

“What time do you want me over?” he asked, holding you in place as he spoke. 

“Come by at sunset and I’ll meet you at the bus stop,” you replied before placing a hand on his shoulder and leaving a quick teasing peck on his cheek. 

Severus shot you a quick smile before taking your hand as you both made your way out of the bookshop making plans for the weekend. Summer had come to an end, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy the little time you had left doing something besides working all day together. 

You’d made this summer absolutely enchanting for him and here you were offering yet another opportunity to lavash in your presence before heading back for your final year at Hogwarts. Even just walking to the bus stop with you now, listening to you plan for the weekend, he felt lightened, like he could listen to you talk all day. 

“How many books did you bring?” you asked, leaning down to pick up two of the packages Severus had set on the ground while waiting for you at the bus stop you’d previously agreed upon. 

“Enough to last us the year,” he said, gripping his Hogwarts luggage in one hand and taking a package from your hand with the other. You lead the way as you hugged his second stack of books, pressing it into your stomach.

“At least we don’t have to buy too many new books this year,” you stated. “We’re even using last year’s book for Transfiguration.” You were rather surprised to see your Professors taking their time as they made their way through the curriculum last year. Though you supposed it made since if they were planning to continue through the rest of the material their textbooks had to offer in your last year. 

“N.E.W.Ts classes normally keep their material concise and focused so it’s rare to see Professors covering a large textbook,” Severus informed you. 

You smiled up at him, loving how much he knew about the Wizarding World and only wished he was there to guide you in your first year. Professor Sprout had been assigned to help you buy textbooks and materials after Dumbledore had come to inform you of your situation. The Herbology Professor was kind and never stopped herself from answering your ridiculous questions, but it would have been a much easier transition if someone your age had been there to help you through it all. 

Your lack of knowledge was probably why you’d found yourself in the library second day at Hogwarts, trying to catch up on everything there was to know about the Wizarding World you’d missed out on the first eleven years of your life. You’d refrained from asking your housemates questions unless absolutely necessary, and though you’d managed to receive grades to contrast with your peers who’d grown up in Wizarding households, it just wasn’t the same. When you’d met Severus, grown close to him, you’d began to rely on his knowledge, grasping at every word, trying to live through the hands on experience his mother had shared with him. 

Even now, talking about your N.W.E.Ts, the information he shared with you was something you would never read in a book. 

“Good, less studying for us,” you said with a huff of content, thinking about a school year with less endless study nights and more visits to Hogsmeade, more time to play Quidditch and simply exist in the presence of your loving boyfriend.

“Mmm, don’t be so quick to assume such a thing. Our N.E.W.Ts exams are done to test the applicability of the skills we learned in each class.”

Your smile was quick to fade as you finally began to understand why you’d gone so in-depth into your subjects last year, regretting focusing so much on Transfiguration rather than split your time evenly between all your classes. Of course, you’d no doubt feel the ramifications of such a decision this year.

“Great,” you mumbled. 

“At least you’ll have Quidditch this year to keep you leveled,” he offered, attempting to bring up your spirits, but his comment clearly didn’t have the effect he’d hoped for as he watched your shoulders drop along with your gaze.

“Right.”

You’d almost forgotten you’d made Captain last year, and you’d planned to create a game plan over the summer to help you manage the team better, but with everything that went on, time slipping away from you so quickly, you hadn’t gotten a moment to think about how you’d hold trials, what types of strategies and moves you’d want the team to learn. 

“You’ll do amazing love,” Severus was quick to throw an arm around your shoulder, pressing his lips to the top of your head in comfort as you arrived at your destination. “I can’t wait to see you back on that broom.”

You smiled to yourself and opened the door for him, gently closing it behind you before making your way up the stairs. Severus followed your quick movements, turning left and watched you head straight for the third door down the hall, opening it and inviting him in. 

He looked around your quaint little sleeping quarters with curiosity glimmering in his eyes. It was smaller than he’d remembered; barely large enough to fit a twin sized bed and a closet with a large pile of books crammed in the corner. Despite its size, it still had his chest warming with amour and every item in that room reminded him of you. 

“What?” you said, placing the package of books in the corner of your room and turning back around to see Severus wearing the most childish smile you’d ever seen. 

“I love your room,” he said as he stepped over towards you, placing the rest of his belongings under your window. 

“No you don’t,” you giggled. “It’s small and sad.”

“But it smells like you,” he said, pulling you in by your waist, your arms wrapping around him. 

“Oh?” You bit your lower lip to keep from smiling. “Is it a smell you like?” you teased. 

“Very much,” he whispered, nudging to capture your lips. You slowly moved a hand to cup his jaw, his thin lips soft against yours. Severus moved his hands to grip your hips before he felt your hand slip from over his shoulder, down to grab his shirt and slowly tug him forward as you walked backwards towards the bed. 

His fingers dug into the fabric of your trousers, parting from your kiss only to turn his head the other way and crash into your lips again as he walked with you. You felt the edge of the bed hit the back of your knees and was about to pull him down, but it was Severus who pressed down on your hips and lunged forward as you both crashed down onto the bed. 

The fall had you both springing apart, and you took the opportunity to slide back to the head of the bed. Severus kneeled, following your slow crawl as you rested your head onto your pillows. You gladly parted your legs and allowed him to place himself between them, your hands quickly finding the collar of his shirt as you pulled him forward to reconnect your lips. 

His hair showered over you as you felt his weight slowly pressing down on you. Severus cautiously lowered himself on top of you, his elbows firmly placed at your sides, propping himself enough to keep from crushing you. 

“I love that you’re here with me,” you said, eyes flickering in lust as you parted.

Severus took in a deep breath, smiling as he moved his lips against yours for one last quick kiss before trailing down to the crook of your neck, sucking and biting your skin. Your hands were quick to dart up from his waist to bury themselves in his hair. You closed your eyes, your heart racing as you focused on every move he made, the feeling of his tongue against your skin sending sparks through your body.

“We should get ready for bed,” he whispered before gently biting your earlobe. Your heart almost stopped at his movements, his lower body pressed against yours, his chest hovering over your own, his voice echoing through your ears. How dare he say you had to stop. 

You groaned in protest, keeping your eyes screwed shut, your hands gripping fists full of his hair, encouraging him to taste every inch of your skin.

“We have to wake up early tomorrow,” he mumbled against your skin, “and don’t forget. This was your idea.”

Your eyes shot open as you huffed in annoyance. “Fine,” you said, pushing him off of you and immediately springing from the bed to retrieve shorts and a tank-top from your dresser. 

Severus watched you open the closet door and reach for the top drawer on the left. He made his way over and wrapped his arms around your waist, pushing you into him and leaving small kisses on your cheek. You closed your eyes a moment, pausing your movements and leaned into his touch before you felt him pull away and make his way to his luggage. 

You quickly found what you were looking for and made your way over to the door, closing it behind you to go change in the washroom. 

Severus had been here less than twenty minutes and yet you’d never felt so at home than in this moment since living here. Despite his irreparable responsible manner, you were glad he’d accepted your invitation to make such a trip together. You’d soon spend two nights in each other’s company and sufficient to say, you were nervous, but excited nonetheless. Your first time at Diagon Alley together, your first Gringotts vault, your first time sleeping at a hotel, one located at the heart of the Wizarding World in London no less. There wasn’t a single thing about tomorrow you dreaded except perhaps the very probable possibility of time betraying your need to cherish every moment and speed up the clock instead. 

You paused outside your bedroom, hand over the doorknob as you smiled to yourself. Opening the door, you found Severus removing the covers before his head shot up to watch you close the door and flick the lights off. He slipped into your bed and waited for you to do the same as you leaned over to turn off the lamp on your bedside table before settling into the bed. He wrapped an arm around your waist and you both squeezed close together, just barely filling up the entire bed as your body easily relaxed not long after.

Severus watched as you effortlessly fell asleep, gently stroking your hair when you’d twitch to help ease your mind as it drifted, feeling thankful he was able to end such a delightful summer with the girl he was so deeply in love with. Sleep didn’t find him for a while; too elated to feel your body completely pressed against his, your breath evening to a constant state as you fell deeper into your dreams. But he eventually found his way, joining you in a deep sleep filled with nothing but love filled dreams.

The sudden sound of a rather obnoxious beeping, rapidly repeating in alarm, had Severus jolting from his spot, leaning on his elbow, failing to remove himself from bed to find the source of such a horrid sound.

“What is that?” he asked, frantically rubbing his eyes.

“My alarm,” you said as you quickly reached over and blindly slammed your hand down on the nightstand to end the suffering you’d put yourself and Severus through. In hindsight, you probably should have warned him last night you’d set it, but his mere presence distracted you, had you forgetting all the plans you had and instead kept you living in the moment. “We need to get ready.”

You turned to face him, any notion to remove yourself from where you lay thrown out the window as your eyes landed on the raven-haired boy beside you, sleep still dwelling around him, his eyelids heavy yet his hair remained slick and rather tidy. 

“What a horrible sound to wake up to,” he mumbled, edging closer to you, his hand slowly moving up and down your side. 

“It gets me up when I need it,” you giggled, closing your eyes as you revealed in his touch. You definitely wouldn’t mind waking up to a Muggle alarm each morning if it meant he was the first thing you’d see when you opened your eyes. 

“It’s still so dark, can’t we stay in bed a little longer?” Severus said in protest, wanting nothing more than to stay wrapped under these covers with you. 

“Sunrise is in a half hour Sev. We need to get going so we won’t be seen.”

He smiled at you, eyes finally cracking open to take in the beautiful sight before him. He could only imagine his luck if he was ever blessed with the opportunity to wake up beside you every day, to kiss you good morning and start his day by simply existing in your company.

You both let out sighs of protest as you removed yourself from your bed to get ready for the long trip ahead. Sneaking around while gathering your things was a bit chaotic, but you managed to escape the premise rather quickly, making your way to the abandoned lot a few blocks over. 

Looking up at the sky, you made the assumption you had a few more minutes until the sun made an appearance, giving you just enough time to find some coverage. It was lucky the sky had decided to fill with clouds today, though perhaps luck had nothing to do with it. You’d always suspected the weather to bend at least somewhat to your needs when Dumbledore had told you of your magical inheritance, always sunny when you were happy, cloudy or sometimes even rainy when you were upset. Of course, it all could have been a coincidence and surely it would have played in your favor during Quidditch rather than occasionally drenching you in rain. But it was nice to think yourself special, unique compared to the other witches and wizards in your world. 

You placed your luggage on the ground and went to jolt open the kickplate of your broom. Severus carefully set down the mountain of luggage he carried as you mounted your broom, lightly kicking off the ground to hover above the surface. You patiently waited, admiring the care he put into securing all his books along with the new suitcases you’d bought together after work one night. It took a lot of convincing, but you finally managed to drag him out to buy new ones. 

Severus threw his leg over your broom as he mounted it behind you, wrapping his left arm around your waist, his right pointing his wand at your luggage. You watched them float off the ground and waited for Severus to give you the go ahead before you kicked off and flew into the air. 

The wind wove through Severus hair, the feeling jarring to him. Last time he’d ridden a broom he’d struggled to mount it, the bloody thing whipping back and forth trying to throw him off as his classmates laughed at him. His own housemates snickering along with Potter and his friends rather than stand up for him. A foolish eleven-year-old boy, lost and mocked by the world. 

He was so absurdly lucky to have met you, to date someone who complimented him so well. You strived where he lacked and held him up at his weakest. You completed one another and it was more than he ever could have asked for.

You had quite the long ride ahead of you and though you were nervous about flying for so long, you accepted the challenge and hoped it would help kick start your flying skills before the new Quidditch season. Of course, it helped to have Severus in your company, supporting you throughout the journey.

“You’re doing great,” you heard him say as he buried his face in the crock of your neck. You were suddenly very glad you’d decided to tie your hair off, completely forgetting how it would be flying in his face right about now if you didn’t. 

You gripped your broom with your right hand, your eyes focused ahead as your left removed itself from its position and gently rubbed the arm encircling your waist. You smiled as you felt him hug you closer, comfortably nuzzling into your neck as you went to grasp his hand, quickly removing it to press your lips to his knuckles in gratitude. 

Severus stiffened, his eyes screwed completely shut when he felt his hold on you fumble, your hand pulling him away from the security of your body. His heart pounded against his chest in fear as his feet planted themselves firmly on the kickplate of your broom. 

“You all right Sev?” you asked, his hand shooting straight back to gripping your waist as you felt his nails dig into your side. He was tense. Something you had never seen before, not even during exam season.

“Fine,” he mumbled against your skin, “Just not a big fan of flying.”

You held your breath in the fear of missing a single word he said. He spoke so softly, voice so low and with the wind howling in your ear, it was hard to listen.

“Oh?” you said invitingly.

“I uh, wasn’t very good in first year,” he stumbled over his words, embarrassed about the mention of his past failures.

“And you haven’t flown a broom since?” you asked, rather shocked at the information you were receiving. 

“No,” he simply stated, turning his attention to the luggage flying beside him in the hopes you’d drop the subject. 

“Well, that needs to change.”

You smiled, secretly accepting the challenge of teaching Severus to fly, though it would obviously have to wait. A trip like this required an experienced flyer and you weren’t about to risk your safety because you wanted your boyfriend to love flying a broom as much as you.

The sun shone bright in the sky as you continued your way to London, rejecting every offer Severus gave of taking a break knowing you wouldn’t be able to regain the coverage the clouds had to offer. 

“We’re nearly there.” You remained fully alert, Severus’ words ringing in your ear.

“How can you tell?” you asked, your hands cramping up after holding onto your broom for so long. You were physically drained from the journey you’d taken, your arms begging to be stretched, your back protesting in pain. Severus was no doubt just as exhausted, having to keep his focus on all your belongs flying next to you. 

“There!” he said, letting you go, pointing through the clouds to a large building down to your left. He shot his arm straight back around your waist not a second later, his hold on you tighter than ever, his muscles aching, a small migraine settling into his temple. “That’s the theater, and there’s the garden.” 

He nudged in the direction he’d pointed out before resting his chin over your shoulder. Holding you so close gave him the strength he needed to power through this trip, and he was sure he’d have passed out from concentrating so hard these last few hours if it wasn’t for your company. “Lower us down a little. See that narrow back alley behind the theater?”

You hummed as you nodded your head. 

“Land us there and we can walk the rest of the way.” 

You immediately leaned down on your broom, pulling it to the left to do as he asked, staying hovered over the thin layer of clouds to keep from being spotted. Severus closed his eyes, face completely buried into your neck as you descended. He felt his stomach drop, his heart pounding against his ribs. This had to be his least favorite part about flying; the descent.

The grip he had on you tightened the further down you flew. You subconsciously went to place a hand over his arm, rubbing circles against the soft fabric of the sweater he wore in comfort. 

“We’re almost there love. Just a bit further,” you said, feeling his stress levels rise as he clenched his jaw. He smiled, his eyes opening just enough to watch you slowly move your hand over his arm. He focused on your touch, suppressing the sound of cruel unwarranted laughter ringing in his ears, clinching on your words instead. 

The ground finally made itself apparent. Severus lifted his head, preparing to land on his feet and settle the luggage down. You slowly hovered yourselves down as opposed to the quick abrupt stop you’d normally opt for in the hopes of easing Severus down. Your feet landed firmly on the concrete of the road before you slowly propped up your broom, Severus lowering your luggage to the ground. You pushed the kickplate back in place and watched as he leaned against the wall of the theater, slowly letting his body give way as he lowered himself to the ground. You quickly set your broom alongside the rest of your belongings before heading over and crouching down with him.

Severus felt his stomach turn, the soft touch of your fingers gently pushing away his hair distracting him from the dizziness and slight nausea.

“You okay?” you whispered, running your fingers through his hair. Severus simply buried his face into your chest and wrapped his arms around you, matching his breaths to the beat of your steady heart. You were an amazing flyer and he wouldn’t have asked you for anything more, but he didn’t feel as though he’d ever get over that tragic moment in first year, the beginning of a very long run of jokes and pranks. 

You checked your watch and realized you’d arrived faster than initially anticipated. The clock hadn’t even struck eight yet and you were thankful you’d powered through the trip, giving Severus a bit of time to recover. Pecking the top of his head, you soothed him until he motioned to remove himself from where he sat. You both removed your sweaters and stuffed them into your suitcases, along with your broom before making headway towards Diagon Alley. 

The street was just as magical as you’d remembered. The few wizards and witches out this early dressed in robes. You could see Olivander a few shops down unlocking his store, the sign that normally hung above the window springing forward as soon as he opened the door. Lights began to illuminate the windows of open shops, their owners no doubt preparing for the storm of Hogwarts students that was to come

Passing by the Leaky Cauldron, you both made your way to Gringotts, taking advantage of your early arrival and beating the line at the bank, knowing how much time it would take to set up two entirely new vaults as opposed to simply converting your Muggle money like you’d both done in previous years. The ceiling was much higher than you’d anticipated, pillars of gold stone lining the walls behind the Goblins working at their desk. The design on the marble stone below your feet circling in slow movements. Magic filled the air and you suddenly felt nostalgic walking up to the clerk at the front who asked for your wand. You stood there a while before he handed you a key announcing your vault number and returning your wand. He asked you both to follow the Goblin to his left after Severus opened his own vault, handing him his key and wand. 

The quick trip down to your vaults had your stomach flipping in anger and you suddenly wished you’d gone to the Leaky cauldron first to lie down for Severus’ sake. You were amazed by how quickly they’d converted the Muggle currency you’d handed over, stashing it in your vault before you’d even arrived. Grabbing a generous amount of Galleons, you stuffed your money bag to its brim and quickly made your way back to the cart that took you to Severus’ vault. He did the same and quickly jumped back in, asking the Goblin to take you to the exit.

“I’m exhausted.” you said, setting down your luggage and throwing yourself on the king-sized bed of the room you’d taken at the Leaky Cauldron. 

You hadn’t realized just how much you’d saved up from previous summers until Severus shared with you how much he’d made working with you these last few months. Still he insisted on splitting the cost of your shared room despite your offer to pay for it yourself. 

“So am I.” Severus plopped himself next to you, the bed bouncing as his weight hit the mattress. You smiled and brought your attention to him as he turned on his side. “But we still have some shopping to do,” he whispered into your ear, throwing his arm over your waist and nuzzled closer to you as he closed his eyes. 

You wrapped your arm around him, feeling his body semi-atop you finally relaxing. _Shopping_. Like he’d be thinking about something so energy consuming when he couldn’t even keep his eyes open. “Can we rest for an hour before we join the chaos?” 

“Sure, love. Whatever you need,” he mumbled, making himself quite comfortable in your arms. You smiled at his words knowing perfectly well he needed to rest far more than you. Naturally, you’d take any opportunity to lie there next to him, his scent filling your nostrils, his arms greedily wrapped around you, though you were rather excited to explore Diagon Alley with him, especially when the list of your needed school supplies was so short. 

Severus felt your chest rise and fall under his arm, his heartbeat finally settling into place, a rather calming rhythm playing against his chest as he moved his arm up enough to place them under your clothed breasts. He moved his right leg between yours and contently let out a soft purr as you wove your fingers in his hair. He’d very gladly hex the person who told him he couldn’t stay in this exact position the rest of his life and though he very well intended to do just that, the time came when you both had to drag yourself from bed and head to replenish your potion ingredients and buy the few new textbooks needed for the new school year before retiring for dinner. 

“Sev, look!” you gasped, immediately joining the crowd around the window outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. You edged as close as you could get, pressing your nose against the glass. “It’s the new Quicksilver six!” Your eyes lit up with joy, what little energy you had left spiraling out of you as excitement, your eyes hooked on every inch of the broom on display. “That’s my Quidditch number,” you whined. 

Truth be told you’d been saving for quite a while to buy a new broom, the one you had was good and all, but it was an old model, much slower than those you competed with. This had to be the perfect opportunity to splurge a little, a clear sign from the universe to end your last year at Hogwarts with a bang, carrying a broom whose model matched your Quidditch Number.

“You look like you’re seriously considering purchasing it,” Severus said watching you fall head over heels for the broom in front of you. 

“I-Well, I just want this last year to go off without a hitch and that means winning the Quidditch Cup. This broom is said to be five times faster than the one I have. Imagine Sev, how fast I can fly with it!”

You couldn’t help but long over the broom wishing you’d one day afford such a luxurious item. But it seemed for now, you’d have to either settle for your current broom or a model much less expensive than this one. 

“I can pitch in if you like.”

You spun your head back in his directions, eyes wide. It was such a sweet offer, he knew how much this meant to you and it was absolutely adoring to see him want to support you in such a way especially after you’d learned how he felt about flying. 

“N-no Sev, I’d never ask that.” You shock your head, dismissing the idea of sharing such a hefty price tag when you both had worked so hard to save up.

“I’m offering,” he said, taking your hand and looking you in the eye when he saw you lower your gaze. 

“You sure?” you whispered, giving him a sheepish smile.

“Absolutely,” he said, nodding his head, loving the exhilarated look that washed over your face as you quickly took his hand and practically ran through the door of the shop. Any amount of Galleons was worth seeing that look on your face, like a little girl celebrating her birthday, skipping back to your room, holding her new broom like it was her most cherished item she owned. 

It took a lot of convincing to tear you from your room, leaving the broom behind to grab dinner but he finally managed to drag you downstairs for a quick bite before he found himself sitting on the bed, admiring the look in your eyes as you lay on the ground, fingers going over every detail of your new broom. 

“It’s absolutely stunning Sev, thank you! I’d never have bought it without your help.” You’d done nothing but thank him all day after he’d practically emptied out his money bag, having to go back to the bank to refill it after dinner. 

“Come up here,” he said, patting the empty spot beside him, “we’ve both had a long day and are in desperate need of rest.” Not to mention that this was the first time he’d had a king-sized bed to share with you and he was more than ready to take advantage of the few hours you had left before you both nodded off to sleep.

You looked up from your broom and watched his eyes twinkle. How could you deny him after what he’d done for you today, that look he gave you reeling you in. Pressing your lips together, you tried to repress the smile that made its way onto your face as you quickly stood up and began crawling to the head of the bed. 

“I think this was the best summer I’ve ever had,” you said happily joining Severus, making yourself comfortable, placing your head on the pillow as you stretched out your back. 

“You know,” he spoke softly as he carefully adjusted to climb on top of you, caging you beneath him with his arms and legs on either side of you, “I bet my summer was better than yours,” he said as he peppered you with kisses all over your cheeks, jaw and neck. You giggled, throwing your head back in lust as you let your hands freely explore the contours of his body. 

“How do you figure?” You pushed on his chest, flipping him over and straddled his waist as you began to return his kisses. 

“I got to spend it with the most amazing girl. She’s beautiful,” he said as he held your waist, enjoying your lips pressed against his jaw. “She loves the same books I do.” His eyes closed in adoration as one hand slid up, burying his fingers in your hair. “She’s brilliant…” A shallow breath escaped him when he felt your teeth lightly graze against that special spot of his. “You’d love her.”

You pulled yourself from him, shoving him onto his back at his last sentence and began to chuckle, settling yourself into his lap as you bit your lower lip. Letting your smile overtake you, you moved his hands from your waist down to your hips, silently inviting him to do a little exploring of his own. 

“Tell me more,” you whispered before leaning back down, connecting your lips. Once parted, you tucked some of your hair behind your ear before shifting down to leave gentle love marks all over his neck.

Severus cautiously moved his hands up over the sides of your breasts as you undid the top button of his shirt and began to nip at his collarbone. You moaned and pressed yourself closer to him as you felt him gently moving his thumbs to rest atop the underlining of your bra. He smiled when he saw how pleased his motions made you. Feeling a rush of confidence course through him, he quickly pushed you over so he was back on top. He began to slowly unbutton your shirt, kissing every inch of new skin that was revealed to him, lingering his lips over your skin before moving further down. 

“You are the kindest,” he said between kisses, “Most beautiful. Most caring. Person I have ever met. And I love you. So much.”

You smiled and closed your eyes as he trailed kisses above your left cup down to the center of your chest. He didn’t want to push any further, so he settled for trailing his tongue over your exposed cleavage, lavishing in your taste. Pausing at the center of your chest, between your breasts, he began to suck and bite, until he was sure there was a mark, his right hand trailed down the curve of your body, resting on your hip. You moaned each time he lightly bit down, his hand squeezing your thigh as you buried your fingers in his hair, bringing him closer, occasionally tug when you felt your heart skip a beat. 

Your body temperatures rose as you continued to lose yourselves in each other’s touch. His thin figure fitting perfectly between your legs, his lips complimenting your own. You were living in absolute bliss, having you dread the separation that was to come tomorrow when arriving at Hogwarts. 

You could understand the split between girls and boys of each year but being split by houses had to be the most ridiculous rule the school enforced, and you never hated it more than you did now. If only you’d been sorted in Slytherin along with Severus, you could have spent all night in the common room by the fireplace or perhaps he’d allow you to sneak into his dorm and sleep next to him. 

You’d failed to mention it, but the night before when he’d slept in your bed had been the most comforting and restful night you had. Tonight of course was no different as you found yourself huddled against his chest despite the large amount of space the bed had to offer. Perhaps it was all for the best. If you’d been sorted into the same house, surely, you’d become sick of one another and that was the last thing you wanted. 

It was only a year. Less than that, it was ten months. Ten months and you’d finally be free of the forced separation between you and Severus. Ten months and you could start your life with the boy you adored so much. You just had to hold on for ten more months.

You woke up first the next day and looked up to see Severus fast asleep, his chest so subtly rising and falling beneath you. He looked so peaceful with his hair covering half his face, mouth slightly ajar, soft breaths escaping his lips as he dreamt. He had one arm around your waist, the other placed over yours which lay on his chest; his grip on you so firm despite his deep slumber. Still you managed to slip your hand from under his to brush hair out of his face, careful not to wake him. 

Settling back down into place, you peeked over to the clock hanging on the wall and decided to let him sleep for another hour before you had to leave to catch the train. You both needed the rest after the long day you’d had yesterday. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to stay lying next to one another a while longer. 

You felt soothed in his arms, the daylight sun peeking through the curtains and illuminating your room. Nothing would have made that hour any better except the absence of time’s obnoxious decision to run away from you. 

Sighing as the clock struck ten thirty, you leaned back up and began to kiss his neck, then his jaw, then his cheek, until you reached his soft lips. 

Severus shifted when he felt the familiar feeling of your loving kisses and opened his eyes just as you pecked him on the lips. He smiled before jolting forwards, reconnecting your lips for a proper kiss and hummed contently as you parted.

“Morning,” he said, eyes half open, voice raspy, still half asleep. 

“Morning,” you replied softly. “We need to get ready to catch the train.” You leaned up on your elbows, lying beside him as you watched him rub his eyes and turn towards the clock.

Severus immediately sat up in shock as he went to reread the time, hoping his eyes were deceiving him. 

“I meant to wake up two hours ago,”’ he said. “I wanted to eat breakfast with you.” He turned towards you, the disappointment in his voice filling the room. 

Sitting up, you cupped his cheek and searched his eyes. He looked absolutely devastated, and it broke your heart. “We can eat on the train,” you said, trying to compromise with his plans and time’s betrayal.

Severus bowed and lowered his gaze in dismay. He knew the time you had together was limited and wanted the last day you had together to be perfect before the Hogwarts Houses separated you both. This was the last day he could have shared a meal with you, and it was ruined by the simple act of oversleeping, something he’d never done until today. 

“I’m going to miss eating with you,” he mumbled. “Sleeping next to you.” He brought his gaze back to you and smiled. The weekend hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but it was the best getaway he could have ever dreamt of having. 

“I know,” you whispered, taking his hand, his fingers dancing with yours before intertwining with one another. “Me too.”

It was hard to stay positive and remove yourself from the safety of this bed when you knew you’d be headed to ten months of secrecy, hiding your love for a Slytherin from your house and constantly working to find time alone.

“Come on,” you said, finally jolting from the bed. “If we hurry, we can grab a snack before we leave.” 

Severus smiled as he followed your move and began packing everything, preparing for the ride to Hogwarts. He always used to count down the days till the Hogwarts Express took him back home, but this had to be the one and only time he’d instead begun counting down to the day he knew he’d dread. The day he knew he’d find himself clinging to you before he was forced to let you go. The day that had finally arrived, having him reset his counter as he began to count the days until graduation.


	2. Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heading to the Dark Arts section of the library, you make a pit stop to look for a Herbology book when you encounter a rather curious sight.

Pulling back the curtain around your bed, you let your body flop back down against the soft pillow, the rays of the last bit of summer sun grazing your dorm. You’d been back two weeks already, and yet you still felt estranged from the school you’d spent almost half your life in. This castle had given you a sense of home and belonging, but sitting amongst your Gryffindor peers in the common room after lights out, catching up on your summers had you realizing your home could no longer be found within the magic that ran through the walls of the school, on a broom or the words in a book. Your chest only filled with warmth when you were with Severus and it never matter what you were doing together, so long as he was with you, you were home. He’d been your home for quite some time now and you just hadn’t realized it until you’d gotten used to his company only to have it stripped away. His presence was what gave you that same sensation you felt the first time you stepped into Hogwarts, the first time you’d ridden a broom or successfully completed your first spell, brewed your first potion. Severus was your everything. He was your world. 

Closing your eyes, you took in a deep breath through your nose, letting it slowly escape between your lips before pushing yourself off the bed, taking a quick peek at the clock before reaching for your uniform. It took less than a day for you and Severus to get back into the habit of meeting one another before class, dinner and lights out. Unfortunately for you both, you were also rather quick to realize how completely incompetent the new Defense Professor was. 

You’d had your fair share of horrible teachers in the past, but this man-child had to take the cake. You would have been better off having Mrs. Norris teaching the class than this oaf. Sufficient to say, Severus was not happy one bit and had asked to meet you in the library to search for some new material so you’d actually learn something about the Dark Arts this year. You were hesitant at first, remembering the catastrophe in fifth year, but of course, Severus had reassured you and even struck a deal allowing you to take any Dark Arts books back to your dorm when you weren’t studying together so he’d resist any ‘temptations’. 

The plan was to meet in the Defense section of the library, take out as many books as you could and study them back at the Astronomy tower. But since you’d woken up early, you decided to prowl the Herbology section before meeting him since it was the next row over anyways. 

There usually weren’t many students in the library this early in the morning, so it surprised you to find someone pulling multiple books from their shelves and setting them to join the mountain he’d been creating around him when you turned the corner into the aisle you were looking for.

He looked so focused, so awake at such an hour, the sun peering through the window creating a little box of light around him. His hazel eyes desperately scanning over the top few shelves of books, one popping out from its spot every now and then to join the rest on the floor.

“Trying to start your own private library?” you gently teased as you approached him. Startled by your voice, you saw the books he was levitating shack in the air as he abruptly brought his attention to you. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” he politely smiled, quickly swiping away the few curls that jumped over his forehead when he spun round to face you. “I’m starting my N.E.W.Ts this year and was hoping to read up on Herbology before the class picked up. I barely managed to scrape an E last year.”

“A Ravenclaw struggling in their studies?” you joked, noticing the eagle crest and blue lining on his robe, “Didn’t know that was possible.”

He chuckled as he set his books down, taking a small step away from the shelves. “Were you looking for a book?” he asked.

You peered over at the stack of books on the floor and raised an eyebrow at him before turning to the side and bringing your attention to the shelves. “Not looking for anything in particular. I was just hoping to find something with some new material,” you picked out two heavy books and stacked them on top of each other as you handed them to him. “Here, these should help you get through the year and catch you up on anything you missed in your O.W.Ls”

He looked at you in awe, his eyes widening, brows shooting up before he hesitantly took them from you. “Thanks.”

“No worries,” you smiled and when you saw the curiosity in his eyes, you thought it best you explain yourself a little. “I’m studying Herbology as well. Seventh year.”

“Ah, I see. So I take it you received an O no problem in your O.W.Ls if you knew which books are best to study from?”

“Yeah,” you giggled, “I did. But I’m sure you’ll be fine for your N.E.W.Ts if you just apply yourself.” You felt bad for him, being where he was not long ago, frantically studying for your O.W.Ls, stressing like mad not one week into your N.E.W.Ts classes. Truth be told, if you hadn’t had Severus by your side, you weren’t sure you’d be as successful in as many classes as you were now. “If you ever need some help, I’d be happy to look over your homework,” you offered.

His eyes immediately lit up at your words and you were glad to see you’d managed to provide some aid to at least one student before your time at Hogwarts came to an end. 

“I’d really appreciate that. None of my friends are very profound in Herbology. Most of them didn’t want to continue it after their O.W.Ls.” He shifted his books to one hand and stretched out the other to you, “My name’s Connor, Connor Adams.”

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N),” you said as you shook his hand. “So, have you found anything interesting in that mountain of books you’ve created?” You pointed at the stack of books behind him, the tan colour of his cheeks tinting pink at your words. 

“Not really. Most of them are books I studied last year, and the rest are books that Professor Sprout mentioned could prove extra guidance this year. I should probably put some of these back,” he said, flicking his wand and watched as most of them returned to their rightful place on the shelves. 

You completely lost track of time as you continued talking to Connor, sharing with him your own experiences from your studies last year as you browsed the shelves, finding a new book that you had yet to read. You got so lost in your conversation, you neglected to notice the time to meet your boyfriend had inched closer.

Severus could hear chatter and laughter as he approached the Dark Arts section, rolling his eyes at the students that dare disturb the quiet aura of the library. As he drew nearer, the voices got louder and he suddenly stopped in his tracks, recognizing one of them as your voice. He couldn’t place the other, but he could tell it belonged to a boy. _Who is she talking to?_

He slowly crept around the corner and peered over to see you speaking with a Ravenclaw he couldn’t place. Inching closer, he tryed to listen in on your conversation without being seen and heard you speaking about the classes you took last year. You both looked like you had been friends for a long while, reunited after years of separation, exchanging stories, sharing tips for Herbology, but surely you would have mentioned this boy to him if you were friends. 

“Sev?”

Severus jumped when he heard his name coming out of your mouth and saw you squinting in his direction. Straightening his back, he stepped forward and began walking over to you, keeping his gaze split between you and Connor. “Hey, hope you haven’t been here too long,” you said, “I’m sorry, I got distracted.” You shot him a soft smile in apology as you tried to explain your absence. “This is Connor,” you gestured, encouraging Severus to shake the hand he offered.

“Connor Adams,” he introduced himself for the second time in front of you today. 

“Severus Snape.” His name lagged out of his mouth, his hand hesitantly slipping into Conner’s, barely grabbing it before quickly retreating back as if to show his disinterest. 

Your lips parted, a breath escaping your lips as you watched an expression you’d completely forgotten existed settle into Severus’ face. He’d been so loving, so happy around you lately, you’d completely forgotten how his nose wrinkled and his eyes sharpened when he was irritated. 

Stepping a little closer, you smiled, trying to ease the tension growing in the air before Severus broke the silence. 

“We should get going,” he said, peeling his eyes from Connor, looking at you with such a commanding glare.

You nodded your head in agreement as you pressed your lips together, grabbing Severus’ arm to pull him away from your new friend. “I’ll see you later Connor.”

“Bye (Y/N). It was nice meeting you,” he shouted back as he watched you both round the corner.

You paused and waited for Connor to pick up his things and head to the exit before turning your attention back to Severus. “You okay?” you asked.

“Fine,” he said flatly. You rolled your eyes, unconvinced and took his hand to try and ease the tension swimming in his shoulders.

“Are you jealous?” You couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped your lips, the thought of your boyfriend displaying envy for a boy you’d just met completely absurd to you, something you thought you’d only ever see on the telly. 

“No,” he replied abruptly, his eyes quickly darting to the side as he turned his body away from you and pretended to sift through the books on the shelves. 

“You are!” you giggled once more as you placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing his attention back to you. Severus let you guide his body back towards you but kept his eyes fixed to the ground in embarrassment. 

He didn’t want to seem overbearing or overprotective. He knew you were your own person, that just because you were dating, that didn’t give him the right to tell you who to talk to or befriend. But he just couldn’t help but feel a sudden rush of familiarity as he listened to you speak to Connor. He was reminded of Lily’s ignorance towards Potter, of how he’d once tried to tell her about the stunts he pulled behind her back only to be shut down and thrown out of her life. He was reminded of how he once spoke to you when he’d realized his feelings towards you. The kindness in Connor’s voice made him uneasy and he couldn’t help but assume the Ravenclaw boy had some hidden agenda. Severus wanted to be special, to be the only one you talked to so kindly, but he knew such a demand was an inappropriate one to make.

“Love, you have nothing to be jealous about,” you reached to cup his cheek, peering into his eyes with nothing but genuinity. 

You weren’t sure whether to sigh in defeat or joke about the situation. He couldn’t seriously be jealous of some random guy simply because he struck up a conversation with you? He had to know you valued him too much to abandon him for someone you’d just met. That your relationship was strong enough to withstand anything thrown your way. After everything you’d gone through, after building that bridge of trust, one that Severus had smashed to pieces twice before, he had to know you loved him. 

Severus’ eyes shifted with guilt and though you could see your words knocked some of his senses back into place, you could tell he was still unconvinced. “I promise,” you said as you leaned in to wrap your free arm around his shoulder, “You are the only one for me.”

Ah, there was that smile you found so adoring. Giggling, you playfully nudged a little until you felt Severus crash his lips into yours, any doubt of his inability to trust you melting away. The grin on his face remained apparent as you parted, your own lips twitched into a smile in adoration. You were confident enough to state that you were an inseparable couple and you were proud of it. Nothing, no one could come between you and you couldn’t imagine a single challenge thrown your way you two couldn’t concur together.


	3. Promises Fulfilled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You hold trials and watch Connor try out for his own team before heading to the Astronomy Tower with Severus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Some naughty naughty touching 😏 It’s at the end of the chapter, so if borderline smut is something you are not into, you can stop reading when they enter the Astronomy Tower.

The halls were uncharacteristically empty as you speed out the great entrance of the castle and made your way towards the Quidditch pitch. It wasn’t abnormal to see such lack of life at this hour. Not many students, hell not many Professors, enjoyed being up so early and though you were amongst the many, today you had to make an exception as it was the first day your skills as Captain would be tested. So of course, your body had to keep you up all night coming up with new and creative incidents that could occur during today’s events resulting in your failure and ultimate dismissal from Quidditch. 

Youngsters falling off their brooms, boneheads taking a bludger to the head, Slytherins keeping their yearly tradition of haggling your team and distracting those already midflight. A string of tragedies played over and over in your head all night, having you dread the trails you had scheduled. You were already so behind; Hufflepuff and Slytherin teams already formed and ready for practice. It was a miracle you’d managed to find a free time slot with the Slytherin Captain hogging the pitch and Professor McGonagall’s aggravating need to ‘play fair’. 

At least Madam Hooch had been much more responsive when you asked her to show you around the storage room, demonstrating how to secure the bludgers in place and retrieve a snitch without wasting its one use. You had a lot to learn in a short period of time, the first game already scheduled for next month, yet you kept hearing how well you would lead your team and win the Quidditch cup from everyone around you. Severus, McGonagall, even Madam Hooch seemed to have a biased towards you as if they could all see the future, knowing for certain you’d win your first game and end the year with the Quidditch cup in hand.

“Feeling ready?” Your mood brightened, worries temporarily pushed aside as you watched Severus walk over from the wall he’d been leaning against just as you arrived at the entrance of the Quidditch pitch.

“Sev!” you shouted, quickly jogging towards him, throwing your arms around his waist. “What are you doing here so early? Trials don’t start for another hour.”

He grinned when he saw your face light up by the simple sight of his presence. Of course he’d assured you he’d be there during trails because you’d asked, but he could tell the stress of your position as Captain had been getting to you, so he’d made an effort to arrive early, knowing you’d do the same and help out in any way he could.

“Somehow I just knew you’d be here obsessing about preparations. Look how right I was.” He rubbed your shoulders in comfort and felt you bury your face into his chest.

“I’m scared!” you whined into his uniform, closing your eyes and letting the world disappear around you as you let the weight of the stress you felt fall over Severus.

“You have nothing to worry about,” he said smiling as you pulled him closer, desperately holding on to him. “You’ll do fine.” 

“You don’t know that,” you mumbled. Your voice so muffled, filtered through his cardigan, it appeared smaller than it truly was. 

“True, but I know no one would do a better job than you,” he said, running his fingers through your hair in comfort, his touch so soothing you wished he’d hold you like this all day. “At least not in Gryffindor anyway.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” You pushed him away, shoving on his chest and forcing him to take a step back. 

“Nothing! I meant to say you’re the best person in the school to be Gryffindors Captain…” You rose an eyebrow at him, waiting for the punchline you knew was coming. “Since they probably need the most aid.”

“Severus!” you stepped forward and continued to push against his chest in annoyance. “You arse!” 

It was one thing to despise Gryffindor and cheer for his own Quidditch team, but it was another to outright attack your house even if it was all in good fun. You’d suspected for a while that he dreaded the fact you’d been sorted into Gryffindor which was yet another reason you’d hung on to the time you had together over the summer, away from the reminder of house conflicts and incompatibility. 

“Alright! I’m sorry!” he said, waving his hands in front of his face in forfeit as he inched away from you. His apology seemed to have done the trick as he finally felt the storm of light punches cease. You crossed your arms, the stern look on your face spoiled by the smirk you gave him. “You know I’ll secretly be cheering for you.”

“You better be.”

He adjusted his buttoned-up cardigan before following you to the storage room located between Slytherin and Hufflepuff’s changing rooms. Picking up one of the suitcases on the bench, you opened it up and took out your wand, pointing it to the case filled with snitches. Carefully opening it, you levitated a few of them into their proper places to complete the Quidditch set before clasping it shut and shoving it into Severus’ arms. You then made your way across the room and took down as many school brooms as you could, handing some to Severus as well. If he was going to make a point of showing up early, he might as well lend a hand rather than waste your time with pointless witty comments.

Setting down the equipment you carried out to the edge of the pitch, you began to line up the brooms one by one, Severus lending a hand without a word spoken. 

“I’m going to go find a seat.” Severus turned to you just as you put down the Quidditch set in the middle of the pitch. “Good luck, love,” he whispered, cupping your cheeks. 

You smiled, letting yourself lean on him one last time as he gently pressed his lips to yours before walking off towards the exit of the soon to be semi-packed pitch. You’d barely returned from the changing room, broom in hand when you heard footsteps nearing the entrance. Turning around, you spotted James and a few other members from the previous team heading towards you. Looking up in the stands, you spotted Severus looking up from his book to shoot you a quick smile with Sirius, Remus and Peter all sitting a few rows behind him. Watching Sirius eye him, you began to wish you’d never asked him to come and support you. You’d been so concerned about perfecting your timeline for your trials, you’d completely neglected to remember James’ feud with Severus and how his friends seemed to have joined in, or at the very least look the other way when he haggled your boyfriend.

But it was too late now. Severus had settled into place along with the Gryffindor pranksters and you’d struck up a conversation with your former teammates as other candidates began to pour into the pitch. All you could do now was hope they’d mind their business and leave Severus to his book so long as he had the courtesy to do the same. 

As the crowd thickened, you began to realize, few people from your previous team had actually returned. The Triwizard tournament had become such a distraction you completely neglected to realize two batches of graduating students had gone since the last set of trials held. If you took back those who previously played, you would still need to find a Beater, two Chasers and a Keeper. It was so much worse than you’d anticipated; only three people from the old team hadn’t graduated and you were one of them. 

“Alright,” you spoke, bringing everyone’s attention to you. “I’d like to see what you can all do, so I will have you all attempt to play each position until I find sufficient players. If I offer you a position and you had your eye on another, you are welcome to reject but know I may not offer you the position you want. Any returning members will not be granted special passes and instead will have the same opportunity as everyone else. Extra brooms are available if needed,” you said, gesturing to the stack of brooms you’d lined up to the side, “I’ll start off with the chasers,” you then divided the group into two teams and instructed them to play a game of catch where a player must pass the quaffle to one of the members on their team without having the ball stolen by a member of the opposing team. 

Slowly, you began tagging people out until two remained; a second year and a fourth year whom both accepted your offer to play Chasers. You then moved on to Beaters, bringing back the Beater that had previously played and a sixth year who said he wished to play Keeper instead. You placed another student on standby for Beater and moved on to find a Seeker. James caught all three snitches that you released and won back his spot on the team. Finally, you instructed the two Chasers to join you in testing for your new Keeper to which you found an agile fifth year who gladly accepted your offer. You encouraged the standby Beater to try out again next year as the sixth-year boy took the final spot as Beater that you had previously offered. 

It was a long, exhausting day, but you managed to put together a well skilled team in the end, just before the time you had scheduled ran out. Your hands shook as you packed up the equipment, feeling nervous about the split decisions you just made.

“Need a hand?” you turned around and saw a familiar boy with dirty brown hair, dressed in blue and brown walking towards you. 

“Connor, what are you doing here?” 

“Ravenclaw is scheduled for their trials today. Should start in about ten minutes,” he said looking at his watch while you levitated the Quidditch case and brooms. “Got any tips for me?” He clutched onto his broom and nervously shifted in his place.

You looked back at him with a smile before responding, “Don’t fall off your broom.” Connor chuckled. “You’ll be fine Connor, just do your best. And if you don’t make it, you always have that miniature library of yours.”

You shot him a quick smile before turning your attention back to the stack of brooms you had been trying to levitate all at once.

“Hold up!” Another Ravenclaw boy came running towards you just as you’d gathered all the brooms together. “Mind leaving those for us?” He gestured towards the brooms. 

Assuming he was the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, you nodded your head in agreement and lowered your wand, thankful you didn’t have to figure out how to carry them all back to the storage room alone.

“I can take that off your hands,” he added, reaching for the Quidditch set you had in your left hand. 

“Thanks,” you said, watching him head for the storage room, no doubt on his way to retrieve some more snitches. The stadium had already cleared of Gryffindors, replaced by Ravenclaws quicker than the impeccable catch James made with the last snitch you released. Turning back around, you thought it best to wish Connor good luck and head for the changing rooms when you heard your name shouted from the entrance of the pitch.

“(Y/N)!” You looked over Connor’s shoulder and saw Severus lightly jogging towards you wearing the same expression you’d seen make an appearance the first time he met your Ravenclaw friend.

“Severus,” Connor said. The tone in his voice telling you he was surprised to see him approach. “What are you doing here?”

“She asked me to watch their trials,” he said nudging towards you, his nose wrinkling as his eyes narrowed. 

“I was nervous, so I thought if he came, I’d feel more comfortable,” you explained with as strong of a smile as you could muster. 

Severus’ tone towards Connor had yet to lighten, reminding you of the year you’d spent trying to befriend him. You did what you could to help him ease into a friendship with Connor, but you knew it would be a while before he let his wall down and accept someone new in his life. You could understand the hesitation to trust but the reaction Severus had when someone tried to enter his inner circle was quite absurd and unwarranted. You’d asked him to explain, you’d tried to reason with him, but his cold demeanor remained, forever present to shun away those willing to get close to him.

“Ah, well, maybe you two can stay and cheer me on?” Connor asked nervously. “I’ve been meaning to try-out, but I never could build up the courage.”

Severus looked at you in annoyance, wanting to tell Connor to sod off. If only he’d come down from the stands sooner. If only he hadn’t wished to read that last page in his book, he could have saved you both from the agony the Ravenclaw was putting you through. 

You quickly placed a hand on Severus’ shoulder to keep him from snapping as you smiled at Connor. “We’d love to stay and support you Connor,” you said, speaking for Severus before the foul words edging on the tip of his tongue spilled out and ruined the peaceful ambiance around you. 

Connor smiled at you both in gratitude before you all parted ways; Severus heading for the stands as you went to get changed before joining him.

Throwing on your uniform, you quickly let down your hair, carelessly ruffling it and made your way towards the stairs that led up to the viewing area. You spotted a few crowds of Ravenclaws rather quickly, most of them engaged in conversation amongst one another across the pitch to your right and found a lone raven-haired boy sitting where the Slytherins would usually gather during games; exactly where Severus had placed himself during your trials. 

“This doesn’t count you know,” Severus said with a discontent tone as you found your place beside him. He kept his gaze focused on the commission down below, but you could clearly see the evident frown on his face between his curtains of hair. “You still owe me an hour today. _Alone._ ”

You couldn’t help the corner of your lips stretch into a subtle smile, thinking of the promise he’d made you keep this year. It was quite a demand to make, one you never thought would be difficult when you’d initially agreed to it until the time came to fulfill your promise. You knew it would only get worse as Quidditch picked up, but you wanted to keep your relationship with Severus strong. Nothing was worth giving what you had with him away, so you did what you could and met up with him when he asked even if it was to simply read in his company atop the Astronomy Tower or take a quick walk around the lake before lights out. 

“He’s our friend Severus, we should support him.”

“No,” he said, finally turning his head to face you. “He’s your friend and you have no obligation to _support him_.”

“He’s nice and we’ll have plenty of time together after his trials. The day is still young.” You placed a hand on his knee and smiled, hoping he’d lighten up and open himself to the idea of having a new friend to talk with. “We’ll go to the Astronomy Tower after this and you can have me all to yourself until dinner,” you whispered as your fingers trailed up his leg to tangle with his. “How does that sound?”

Your breath brushed through his hair, the heat of your palm spreading through to his, reaching his core. Severus froze in place as you leaned in, teasing him as you bit your lip and fluctuated your gaze from his eyes to his lips. You knew displaying affection in public made him uncomfortable and he hated it when you teased him like that. It was a weapon you never used unless you could sense his stubbornness rising. 

He quickly pulled his hand from under yours, looking away from you as he suppressed a smile. You brought your attention back to the gathering Ravenclaws bellow and listened as the team Captain organized their trials. 

He’d decided to approach things a little differently than you as he divided up the Ravenclaws into groups based on what position they wanted. You watched as Connor stepped beside those who wished to play Seeker and you couldn’t help but think how his physique better suited a Beater. A Seeker has to be agile, to turn their broom in the opposite direction in a split second, so it was much more common to see someone with a much leaner figure in the position. Of course, there were exceptions like James, though even he wasn’t as tall or as fully built as Connor. Then again, who were you to judge when you had yet to see him on a broom. Perhaps he’d surprise you and give James a run for his money. 

You took in a deep breath as you watched the specs below kick off and fly into the air. _He could definitely keep his own on a broom,_ you thought, spotting Connor make a sharp turn, halting to listen to the next set of instructions given by their Captain. 

He motioned to test those trying for Beaters first, enlisting the help of everyone else to toss around a Quaffle as he let the Bludgers loose. A few failed to knock the bloody balls away from their targets, hitting them and knocking some off their brooms, though no one was seriously injured. Next up were the Chasers, followed by the Keepers, then finally, Seekers were tested.

Rather than releasing them one at a time as you’d done, the Captain released what he claimed to be four Snitches into the air and said whoever of the three candidates caught two of them first would win the position. Squinting, you leaned closer to the railing and tried to spot the golden blur you’d seen one too many times today. Not five minutes into the challenge, the youngest in the group, a girl appearing to be in her second or third year, caught the first Snitch while Connor and the other candidate desperately searched for the remaining three Snitches.

“He’s not very good is he,” you whispered to Severus as you watched Connor head in the opposite direction of the small golden blur you’d spotted not five feet away from his head. Severus scoffed in response, hoping you would want to leave now that you’ve watched your friend play. But unfortunately for him, the last two snitches weren’t caught for another hour, leaving him only one hundred and twenty minutes before dinner.

“Tough luck,” you said sympathetically, catching Connor on his way to the changing rooms. Severus had practically sprung from his seat when the Captain had announced the end of their trials, heading straight for the exit when you’d grabbed his arm and dragged him back inside the arena. 

“Yeah,” replied Connor in a hushed voice as he rubbed the back of his neck. His cheeks tinted pink and you noticed his gaze fall to the ground, no doubt embarrassed by his poor performance. 

“You played well, Connor. You should try again next year, maybe consider trying for Beater or Keeper” you said in an attempt to cheer him up. 

“You think?” he said, bringing his line of sight back to you, his brows furrowed with hope.

“Mhmm,” you hummed, nodding your head. “You have a build better suited for a Beater than a Seeker and you fly really well. I bet you’d be great at catching up to a bludger.”

He smiled as the tension from his shoulders eased. 

“Well, now you both can cheer for me instead of your own teams. All I need now is to befriend a Hufflepuff and I’ll have all four houses on my side,” you said hoping to lift the gloomy mood around the three of you. 

“Fat chance,” mumbled Severus.

“Fine, don’t cheer for me” you said, giving him a light push before you turned to smile at Connor, “You’ll cheer for me, right?” 

“Sure,” he laughed. “Anyways, I should get changed, my friends are probably waiting.”

You gave him a nod in agreement and watched him head towards the Ravenclaw changing room, broom thrown over his shoulder before you made your way out of the Quidditch pitch.

Severus was walking so fast, you practically had to run to keep him from dragging you along, his hand immediately shooting to grab yours once the coast was clear. As soon as the door of the room at the top of the Astronomy Tower closed behind you, he gripped your waist and pulled you in, colliding your lips with his. 

You snaked your hands in his hair as he moved his hands down to your hips, gripping them as he pushed you against the wall. Feeling ambitious you gave a quick tug on the strands tangled between your fingers and let the surprise from your move catch him off guard as you quickly slipped your tongue past his lips. He took a second to adjust and settle into the new sensation before he moved his hands down over your clothed bottom in response, slowly squeezed both cheeks. 

You moaned, letting your chest heave in desire as your lips parted, hovering over one another. Severus kept his eyes closed and let you both catch your breath as he continued to feel you up, his hands slowly moving down to your thighs. His slim fingers traced the outline of your skirt. Cautiously, he let them slip under the fabric, his fingertips feeling the few new inches of unexplored skin before so very slowly edging upwards towards your knickers. Your eyes flickered open, a breath caught in your throat as you moved one hand out of his hair and cupped his cheek. He carefully examined your flushed expression, a soft pink colour washing over your skin from heat, embarrassment, arousal, he couldn’t tell. But you hadn’t stopped him, nor had you shown any disgust, so he let his fingers trace the line of your panties from the middle of your legs back towards your bottom.

You could feel your knickers drench, the soft careful touches of his hands sending sparks to your core. You’d never discussed boundaries and you’d always thought yours would be quiet etiquette and clear. But in this moment, you felt as though you’d let him do anything he liked if he simply asked. You’d never felt your heart beat as fast as it was in this moment, your adrenaline running higher than it would during a Quidditch game. 

Severus smirked as you arched your back, pushing your chest against his when he gave your arse another rough squeeze. It felt good to feel your skin under his fingertips, skin he knew you wouldn’t allow anyone else to feel. To touch. He had you all to himself and he loved how you showed your enjoyment for his hands exploring your body. 

Keeping you distracting, he kept one hand under your skirt while the other went to rest on your lower back, pushing you into him as he quickly pressed his lips to yours and immediately slipping his tongue into your mouth. He nudged his nose into your cheeks a few times, letting his tongue explore before parting for air, smirking at you with content. 

“So, what was that you said about you being all mine till dinner?” he whispered. 

You blushed, your eyes barely open as you realized how suggestive you must have sounded. Severus lifted your chin and peered into your eyes, his hands gently resting on your waist as he revealed in the moment. He quickly kissed you one last time before taking your hand and setting you down to read with him. You cuddled up next to him, placing a hand on his chest, leaning your head against his shoulder as he opened up a book and began reading with you awhile before you were both forced to head back to the castle for dinner.


	4. Unspeakable failures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After failing your in-class potion, Severus takes it upon himself to help you perfect it after class.

Of course, Slughorn had to make a spectacle, praising the success of some of his students. Of course, he had to pick one of the hardest potions to brew today of all days. And of course, your potion had to turn out looking like troll’s dinner. You’d decided the world had it out for you. It was the only reasonable explanation really. After the mishap in Defense, the wanker calling himself your professor setting half the class on fire and sending the Keeper you’d been tirelessly training the last few weeks to the infirmary, the last thing you needed was a failing grade. Madam Pomfrey had naturally pushed you out when you tried to see how bad the damage was, telling you visiting hours were to be set tomorrow after lunch so you couldn’t even determine whether you needed to find a replacement for the upcoming game or not.

You’d once been on top of your studies and yes Slughorn still invited you to his little ‘Slug Club’ gatherings, but it was clear he thought very little of your academic achievements, his comments always focused on Quidditch. _I look forward to seeing you on a broom again (Y/N). What a shame you can’t show off your talent this year with Quidditch replaced by the Triwizard Tournament. You must be focusing quite a lot of your time on your duties as Captain this year (Y/N)._

_Give me a break._

You were much more valuable a student than he perceived, and he’d be sorry for underestimating you one day. He’d regret not acknowledge Severus’ clear and natural talent in his class and you’d both grow to have tremendously successful careers, one that was far away from this man.

“I talked to Slughorn.” Your eyes shot up as you turned to watch Severus leave the potions classroom. Uncrossing your arms, you shifted your weight to your feet and let out a small gasp when you realized your hip had gone numb from the leaning position you’d put yourself in while waiting for Severus the last ten minutes. “He agreed to let us use the classroom but he wants to supervise. I don’t think he will ever trust us again after we trashed his classroom in our fifth year.”

The memory of the fun you had back then flashed through your mind, bringing a slight smile to your face. Still, your bitterness of today’s events tugged your lips back down in protest. “We cleaned it up,” you mumbled, pressing your lips together and bringing your gaze back down to the ground. “Well, most of it.”

Severus leaned his head to the side, examining the grim expression on your face. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he stepped forward, slipping his hands under your robe and around your waist. 

“Nothing,” you said, gently resting your hands over his arms, your eyes determined to keep your hardship from him. “It’s just been a long day.”

Your voice was shriveled. Small and weak like life had beaten you to the brim of intolerance. He couldn’t bear seeing you this way. His heart tugged and ached as the seconds passed, your sadness resonating within him.

“Is this about what happened to Trevor?” he spoke gently, his fingers curling under your chin, bringing your gaze back up. You looked at him, worry and stress swimming in your eyes. He’d fall right into them if it weren’t for his feet keeping him grounded. “He’ll be fine (Y/N). He’s got loads of time to recover before your first game.”

You melted into his touch, like the simple gift of his words had erased your troubles and left you with nothing but love and comfort. And that was all you felt when your eyes met his, your smile slowly growing back, staying steady as he eased your mind with a mere look. 

“I hope you’re right,” you whispered back, not daring to break your gaze and let go of the lifeline he’d thrown you.

“Come on,” he said, releasing his left hand as his right went to grab yours. “This shouldn’t take long, you were pretty close to getting it right in class.”

“Severus, my potion was foggy!” you said as you reached down to grab your bag and throw it over your shoulder. “And clumpy!” you added, disgusted by your own creation. “You’re just trying to be nice because you love me.”

“That’s not true.” 

“Please. If it were anyone else, you’d be making fun of them and you know it!” You pointed your index finger at his chest as if to make a point. 

Severus smirked, gazing at you in admiration before quickly leaning in to peck you on the cheek. It surprised him sometimes how you seemed to know him better than he knew himself. You were right of course, because if Potter had brewed the monstrosity you’d created, he’d be on the floor laughing until the sun rose the next day. But it wasn’t him who’d failed their potion today, it was you, and he’d mentally given you an out to explain why you’d done so poorly, brushing it off as stress. Perhaps it was his love for you that excused your sudden downfall in such a simple subject. One you’d both studied so often together, he never thought it possible to see you fail so spectacularly. 

Opening the door to the classroom, he let go of your hand as you walked in first before he followed behind you. The room still reeked of death; the stench of unwashed cauldrons all seeping together to form quite the unspeakable smell. It was all the more justifying if you were to be forced to brew your make-up potion in such conditions.

“(Y/N). Severus.” Professor Slughorn greeted you both from his desk, his tone as unwelcoming as you’d expected. “You’re welcome to the ingredients in the back, and you can set up your cauldron here,” he pointed at the desk directly in front of him and you looked at Severus with a nervous glance. 

Slughorn had been a lot colder towards you since he found jars of ingredients vanished the last time you’d asked to use his classroom for an impromptu potions tutoring session, and it unnerved you. So, you weren’t exactly surprised to hear his intention to supervise your use of his classroom, nor were you shocked when he’d insisted you brew your potion directly in front of him, not that the extra pressure bothered you or anything. 

Severus set his bag down, encouraging you to do the same as you both took a seat. You followed his lead, taking out your textbook and began searching for the correct page when Severus stopped you.

“Here, use mine,” he said as he slid his open book towards you. You peered down and saw the familiar instructions for Draught of Living Death, only Severus had scribbled all over the pages to the point where it was difficult for you to read what had been printed on the textbook. 

“Severus, I can barely read the instructions,” you whispered.

“Read my notes, they’ll help you understand the potion rather than memorize a set of instructions.”

You did as you were told and began brewing the potion, his notes proving a bit difficult to decipher though you found his method much simpler than the one you’d followed during class. Severus kindly gathered all the ingredients you needed, handing them to you as you followed along, correcting your cutting method or your stirring technique every now and then, his due diligence and ability to stand silently as you brewed your potion surprising you. Though your potion was in a much better state than before, you knew it wasn’t perfect, at least compared to how Severus’ looked, and you knew it must have taken quite the stamina to keep from snatching the ladle from your hand and brewing it himself. 

_Carefully pour the Sopophorous bean’s juice into the cauldron._

Half way. You were already half way through the potion and you’d barely been brewing for a half hour. You picked up the small bowl of Sopophorous bean juice which was now filled to the rim after Severus had instructed you to crush them with your knife rather than cut them. Careful not to spill, you hovered it over your cauldron and began to slowly pour it into your mixture, aiming to evenly distribute it into your cauldron. A smile beamed across your face as you stirred your potion, the charcoal colour decimating into a much softer lilac.

“Stop!” Severus suddenly reached out, grabbing your hand before you continued stirring. “You’ve stirred seven times anticlockwise already. Now stir once clockwise and add your cut up Valerian root.”

You nodded your head, following his instructions as you mentally kicked yourself for letting the colour of the potion distract your brewing. “Remind me again why we stir once clockwise?” 

Severus took a seat and watched you carefully before answering your question. “It helps the potion settle. You’ve stirred seven times in one direction, so giving it a stir in the opposite direction helps prevent it from being overly stirred.” 

You shot him a quick smile as you picked up your ladle once more, ready to stir the potion correctly this time. He was quite the tutor. Catching your every mistake, answering, and even encouraging your questions. His talent for potions was absolutely inspiring, but to see him teach the subject was something to behold. 

Slughorn looked up from his desk and noticed you were nearing the end of your potion as you added the powdered root of asphodel. Deciding to bestow a little faith in you, he cleared his desk of the papers he was grading and turned to address you and Severus.

“I have to step out for a while,” he said “But I see you are almost done, so I’d like you to put away anything you didn’t use and clean up. I trust what happened last time won’t happen again.”

“Yes sir,” you nodded with a smile. 

“Good,” he mumbled as he quickly peered over your cauldron. He still seemed hesitant to trust you, but he had to realize by now you were in your seventh year. No longer were you a moody fifteen-year-old, but a grown witch who’d matured quite the handful over the last two years. “Your potion making has greatly improved,” he stated simply before straightening up, ready to head out the door.

“Thank you, sir,” you watched as he left, shutting the door behind him. 

Severus smirked as his eyes followed his Professor, finally giving him a moment alone with you. He’d been breathing down both your necks all evening and Severus was inches away from risking his graduation just to drown Slughorn in your unfinished potion. 

Severus walked up behind you, placing a hand on your hip as he reached for the ladle in your hand. “You’re stirring too slow,” he said as he led your hand in a clockwise motion. “Remember, every stir should only take about two and a half seconds.” 

You leaned back and grinned as you felt him pressed against your back, his hand tightening around your hip. You continued to stir as you adapted to Severus’ speed, until the concoction finally cleared. Letting the potion drip from the ladle, you held it above the cauldron before setting it aside.

Severus peeked at the clock before gripping your hips and pulling you closer. He slipped his left arm around your waist, tightly holding you in place as his right went to swipe your hair to one side, his lips pressed gently against the crock of your neck. You giggled as you placed your hands over his arm, your left foot between his, standing on its toes. Shifting your body weight, you tried to turn and face him, but his grip on you was so tight, you were barely able to squirm in place. “Your potion looks nearly perfect,” he mumbled as he peppered you with kisses. 

You smiled as your eyes shut in delight, your head tilting to give him more access. “Because of you,” you whispered. “Thanks for helping me Sev. You’re absolutely brilliant.”

“Anything for you.” His breath tickled the back of your ear as he continued showering you with sweet touches.

You never felt like you could praise him enough. The duty of showering him with love and support had fallen so heavily on you after you’d watched everyone in his life underestimate and undermine his abilities. But it never felt like a burden, nor would it ever be. He deserved to hear how amazing a wizard and how magnificent a boyfriend he was. He had his downs of course, but nothing he ever did warranted such lack of compassion from those in his life that were meant to love and care for him. Nothing would have warranted the neglect from his mother, the abuse from his father, the dismissal from his teachers, the abandonment from his childhood friend. 

The sound of the door suddenly swinging open had your heart stop. Severus flung himself back, peeling away from you as you both turned your attention to the intruder. 

“Forgot a few parchments,” Slughorn said as he made his way to his desk. “Looks like you’re about ready to add your last slice of Valerian root,” he stated as he looked into your cauldron. You gave him that polite smile you’d perfected for him over the last few years and nodded your head in gratitude as he shot you a simple congratulations for succeeding in your _second attempt_ before quickly shuffling out of the classroom and slamming the door behind him. 

You looked over at Severus and saw him shuffling around uncomfortably with his hair sweeping across his face. His cheeks no doubt as flushed as it was when McGonagall had almost caught you both in the dark corner of the library making out a few weeks ago. He began putting away ingredients as you reached for the jar of Valerian roots. Once you saw your potion turn a pale pink colour, you turned off your burner and set the cauldron aside before making your way over to the shelves, putting away the last jar on your table. 

After pushing it into place, you spotted Severus carelessly adjusting the jars on the shelves so the labels were facing outwards. You giggled as you watched the tension in his body rise. Stepping forward, you placed a hand on his shoulder and quickly turned him to face you, gently pushing him against the adjacent wall. You bit your lip as they stretched into a smile when you lifted his chin and saw his cherry coloured cheeks. Brushing away his hair, you looked into his eyes and found nothing but fear and embarrassment. It was far past adorable how childish he could be when it came to private moments with you. 

Failing at capturing his gaze as his eyes bolted down, you collided your lips with his and felt him relax under your touch. You tangled one hand in his hair while the other rested over his shoulder, pulling him closer to you. He hesitated before placing his hands around your waist, slowly moving them to your lower back as his lips finally began moving against yours. You leaned up on your toes and slid your tongue past his lips, exploring the inside of his mouth. A soft moan escaped him as your tongues danced, only parting when the need for air was too great. 

Severus kept his eyes closed a moment after, letting his worries slip away as he focused on your touch. Your foreheads met and you both revealed in the moment, wanting nothing more than for it to last longer than all the others. 

“What was that for?” he whispered as he opened his eyes. His voice cracked from speaking so low which only had your smile stretching further from ear to ear.

“A thank you for helping me with my potion,” you shrugged as you rested your hands on his chest. 

“Well if that’s the reward I’d get for helping you with a potion,” he said with a smirk, “I wonder what you’d give me if I wrote your Defense essays for the rest of the year.”

You giggled as you moved your hands to the nape of his neck. “Not nearly enough if you took my N.E.W.Ts for me,” you joked, quickly pecking his lips one last time before stepping back and making your way back over to your cauldron. 

“But, if you’re offering, maybe you could help me with my Liquid Luck potion tomorrow?”

Severus let out a slight huff before crossing his arms, watching you bottle a sample of your potion before vanishing the rest. “No,” he said. 

“N-no?” you asked, pausing your task to look back at him as your brows furrowed in worry. Had you offended him? Did he think you were taking advantage of his talents?

Severus took a few steps forward and leaned against the table before explaining himself. “Neither of us will have time for that because I’m taking you to Hogsmeade tomorrow.”

You smiled at him as you finished packing up. “Is that so? I don’t remember you asking me to go.”

“That’s because you have no choice. You’re going.” He threw his bag over his shoulder and waited for you to do the same. 

“What if I say no?” you teased, snaking your hands around his waist as he began slowly running his hands up and down your arms, his soothing touch having you melt into him once more.

“Sorry love, you don’t have the option to say no.” 

You smirked at his commanding tone, secretly loving that dominant side of his. 

“And why not?”

“Because, the way I see it, you owe me a date to make up for the lack of alone time we got today,” he said before stepping away and motioning to head out the door. “Besides, you’ve been working non-stop for the last few weeks, I think it’s time for a break.”

You followed him to the door after placing your vial of Draught of Living Death on Slughorn’s desk and thought back to all the times you had directed those same words to him. Most people would learn to take care of themselves as they grow, but when it came to the two of you, you’d always look after one another rather than do the sensible thing of looking after yourselves. It was endearing how well you both worried over each other, doing nothing less than demand the best for the other, only bringing you closer together as one.


	5. Sweets and Treats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking a break from your studies, Severus takes you out on a date at Hogsmeade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was beginning to think I’d never update 😂 I have too many things to write 😭

The bell hanging above Honeydukes’ door rang as you stepped outside, popping another bean into your mouth, humming at the delightful chocolate flavor swirling around your tongue. Severus was right as always, this trip to the village was a much needed breather, away from your studies, from Quidditch, from all your worries. You could enjoy a change in scenery, walk through a part of the Wizarding World you’d very rarely gotten to enjoy in the past. 

Everywhere you went with Severus was special to you this year. Even in Cokeworth, the most bland, unmagical town in England was made glamorous in your eyes simply because you got to spend your time with him. Diagon Alley, your first step back into the Wizarding World became a thousand times more exhilarating with Severus by your side. First day of classes had never been so enticing, Quidditch never so thrilling, (though your position as Captain may have been to blame for that one). 

It was no different with this little village. Severus made walking down this street all the more illuminating and you were beyond joyful for his presence. 

“Just try one Sev,” you said as you tried passing the box of Every Flavored Beans you had in your hands to him. 

Severus rose a brow as the sound of the compressed sugar candies hit the sides of the cardboard box that held them. You shook it in front of him as if the motion would entice him into chewing one of those wretched beans of death. 

“No,” he said, his lips tugging downwards as his nose wrinkled in disgust, “Those flavors are horrendous. Even if you get a good one, you still have to endure the unpleasant sweetness that comes with jellybeans.” He sounded as though he was trying to lecture you in your choice of candy, but that wasn’t going to stop you from loving that passion in his eyes that shinned when he spoke to you. “Why do you like those things anyways? Honeydukes has much more gratifying treats. Wouldn’t you rather have a Chocolate Frog instead of gambling your taste buds?” 

You bit your bottom lip, a giggle rumbling through your throat as you listened to his evident hatred for such a small, harmless treat.

“Because it’s fun!” You gave as much enthusiasm as you could, just to tease his gloomy attitude. “It’s thrilling to see what flavor you could get.”

“And when you get a bad flavor?”

“Then you laugh it off and try another!” Your smile grew as he narrowed his eyes, unable to believe your worlds. “The bad ones are part of the fun Sev! Please, just try one.”

You shook the box once more, the clicking of his doom more rapid this time. He let out a long sigh as he slowed to a stop in the middle of the road and reached into your box, retrieving a yellow jellybean. Your lips stretched from ear to ear and he kicked himself for his inability to resist pleasing you. One day he’d learn to put his foot down, but clearly, today was not that day. 

Bringing the yellow treat to his mouth, he pressed it against his lips as he peered into your shimmering eyes, filled with delight. His own joy seeped from him as he smiled before letting the candy in his hand slip between his lips, landing in the middle of his tongue. Slowly, and regrettably, he bit down on the yellow bean, feeling the flavor release and swirl in his mouth. There was no going back now. 

“Well?” You asked in anticipation, watching him slowly chew, holding his expression perfectly still. 

“Earwax,” he mumbled before turning his head to the side and spitting it out. You couldn’t help but giggle as you watched him desperately try to get that awful taste off his tongue. Pulling out your wand, you vanished the half-chewed bean before putting away the rest of the box and reaching back into your robe to pull out a chocolate frog.

Silently, you handed it to him as an apology for the earwax jellybean he’d chewed, even if his reaction was a bit exaggerated considering the other flavours he could have gotten. Stopping his motion, he looked down at the familiar blue packaging in your hand and smiled. The fact that you’d both come full circle, enjoying Chocolate Frogs together in that train compartment when you first met, and now as a couple with the same treat, was the strongest magic he’d ever gotten the pleasure to experience. 

Mischievous as always, Severus reluctantly decided against tearing open the package and instead went to grip your waist as he quickly pulled you in for a kiss. His movement took you by surprise as you stood there frozen by his touch. It wasn’t until you tasted the earwax on his tongue that you suddenly snapped back, pushing on his chest and pressing the back of your hand to your mouth. But it was too late, that awful taste had seeped into your own taste buds, overpowering that of the chocolate flavoured bean you’d had earlier. 

“What was that you were saying about laughing it off and trying another?” He teased as he watched your abrupt reaction to his kiss. 

“Shut up!” you pushed him once again as he began to chuckle. At least he’d had fun sharing his misery. But you couldn’t let him win. You had to stand by what you said and prove to him you weren’t wrong, so you quickly tugged on his robes and crashed your lips with yours, doing your best not to focus on the taste as he hummed in surprise before parting. 

Your giggles slowly died down as your eyes met, his smile more radiant, softening those charcoal eyes of his. Stepping forward, you pressed yourself almost entirely against him, your hands moving down to his own, holding up the Chocolate Frog in a motion to open it and rid you both of the aftertaste left by the earwax jellybean. 

Deciding to put you both out of your misery, Severus silently opened the box, quickly grabbing the frog and handing you the packaging. He took a bite out of the treat as you went to retrieve the card from inside. _Salazar Slytherin._ A rare card Severus had yet to collect. Exchanging the card for the second half of the frog, you both made your way down the road, Severus reading the back of his new card in glee. 

“Shall we grab some tea to wash down those sweets?” he said, nudging in the direction of Madam Poodifoot’s Tea Shop down the road. 

Peering down the street, you recognized the little shop as the one place all couples seemed to prefer over the Three Broomsticks or even the Hogshead. It was the main reason you’d always stayed away, never wanting to bring attention to yourself in your years at Hogwarts. Even with Severus last year, what with all the secrecy and need for privacy, neither of you had ever showed interest in popping into that shop. The last thing you’d expected from him was to flaunt your status as a couple to the rest of the school. 

“You want to go in there?” your voice was so low, it almost passed as a whisper when you turned your attention back to him. Of course you’d dreamt of one day heading into that shop with your boyfriend, but Severus, well, he was the last person you’d have expected to take you. 

“You don’t?” He said as he gently ran the tip of his fingers along your hairline, pushing the few strands you had framing your face back. His hand immediately went to cup your jaw and you couldn’t help but step just a little closer to him, your own hands going to his waist, your eyes lost in his. He could take you to the moon for all you cared, so long as he’d continue to be by your side, so close to you. 

“No, I just have never considered it before.” You almost sounded lovestruck and if Severus didn’t know better, he’d say someone had snuck you a love potion. But he did know better and the look in your eyes was one quite familiar to him after almost a full year together. It was the same look he was sure you’d grown to enjoy when he looked at you. 

“And now?” His voice had lowered to a whisper, so delicate, so… charming. 

“And now,” you said, smiling like a little girl trying to hide her excitement, “I have you to take.”

Your smile was so contagious, even now, standing here in public with you, he couldn’t resist his lips twitching to replicate yours. He slid his hands down your arms, grabbing them firmly right above your elbows, trying to restrain himself from feeling anymore of you. 

“Correction. _I_ have you to take.” 

That warranted a small giggle from you as your hands moving up to rest on his chest. _Your hands_. How he loved to feel them on his chest, around his waist, caressing his cheek. He could spend eternity locked away if he’d be allowed the simple pleasure of your gentle touch.

“Lead the way then.” But the only movement you made was to lean on him as much as the bags around your elbows allowed. 

Severus’ smile turned into that sly smirk he gave whenever he contemplated kissing you, and you loved to watch him give in every time, no matter where you were or what you were doing, he’d always give in. Quickly pressing his lips to yours, you felt his body melt under your palms, his shoulders dropping with the mere taste of your lips. Always so eager, always so needy, and of course, you’d always obliged. Grasping fists full of his uniform, you pulled him close, your lips moving against his until you both parted for air.

Severus watched your eyes flicker open and your lips stretch in the most delicately sweet smile as he held you in _your_ corner of Hogsmeade. There was nothing in this world he wouldn’t give you, nothing he’d care more about and he wanted the whole world to know that. 

Shifting his own Scrivenshaft’s shopping bags to one hand, he intertwined your fingers with the other and began making his way down the street before the brilliant idea of taking out those dreadful beans he knew you were brewing came to light. 

The shop was practically overflowing with love, every table accompanied by at least one couple, but the crowd didn’t stop you from spotting a very peculiar pair sitting in the left corner by the window. A couple that had melted away your smile and brought down your high on joy. 

The small glimpse of red hair brought back all those awful memories of Severus’ betrayal. His worst moment, the one he’d tried so hard to mend, the one you tried so hard to forget. But it was still there, burning a hole in the back of your mind. Never had you been so excited to graduate Hogwarts and finally rid yourself of such horrors, separating them from what had gone right in your life. 

Tightening your hold on Severus, you tucked your hair behind your ear, uncomfortably peeling your gaze away from the couple, trying everything you could to focus on your date instead. But it was too late, Severus had already noticed your change in mood and had followed your gaze to the corner where he saw his childhood friend having what looked like quite the lovely chat with his school tormentor. 

He’d told her so many times Potter fancied her, that everything he did to put himself above others was a pathetic attempt to woo her. She’d never even tried to listen and looking back now, he realized; she never wanted to hear it. She was simply waiting for Potter to scramble his brains back in a more respectable order before finally accepting his want for her. 

It angered him to see them together. The girl he’d longed for, the girl he’d fought so hard for, his ex-best friend, sitting there with that ignorant git, lovestruck and blinded. _He_ was the reason his Hogwarts experience was tainted and _she_ … she was the reason you’d gone crying out of the Astronomy Tower last year on Christmas. 

Turning his head back around, his eyes met yours and he could see the hurt you’d felt that night in the depth of your pupils, his own chest aching from the sight. 

“We-we don’t have to stay,” he whispered in a voice so low you’d almost say he sounded ashamed, like it was his fault the smallest glance of another person’s hair reminded you of your broken heart. And though you’d forgiven him, though you didn’t blame him for the memories leaking into your mind right now, he was partly to blame for how you felt and that was something you could never help. 

You shook your head, rejecting his offer and instead made your way to the very back corner of the room, grabbing the booth the couple you’d passed as you entered the shop had left. Seclusion was always best when it came to the two of you anyways so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for you to sit as far away from everyone else in this shop. 

“Has he bothered you as of late?” You asked nervously as you thought back to all the times you watched James taunt Severus.

“No, he hasn’t come near me since the second task last year.” 

You sighed with relief as you removed your cloak and set it aside, along with your new school supplies (and your favourite sweets of course). It was good to hear Severus had finally been relieved of the pain James and his friends seemed to enjoy inflicting on him.

“Sorry,” you said, your head bowed low as you played with the buttons on the end of your sleeves, “I didn’t mean to bring down the mood.”

“It’s not your fault.” Severus shook his head as he slid his hands across the table, offering them to you. He could see the corner of your lip twitched as your eyes followed his movements, your own hand slowly reaching up from under the table to be placed in his. Leaning forward as far as the table would allow, he shot you a quick smile before attempting to bring up your spirit. “How about we talk instead about the amazing job you did on that essay you wrote for Transfiguration?” 

“You really think so?” And just like that he had you smiling like a little school girl again, cheeks covered in blush. He loved how red your face could get when he complimented you like that. 

Biting your lip, you looked back down at the table, refraining from sharing the true nature of your little extracurricular project with McGonagall, hoping to instead surprise him sometime in the near future and you were about to reply when the waitress came over, asking for your order to which you both slowly slid apart, leaning back against the cushions behind you. 

Severus ordered right away, asking for the tea he knew you loved (because you wouldn’t stop talking about it that night you had at the Leaky Cauldron, as if hinting at something), his own cup of lavender tea as well as a tray of Jammie Dodgers. 

“What?” he asked as soon as the waitress left. Your eyes sparkled like the moon and your bottom lip caught between your teeth as if you had a secret to tell. 

You shook your head as you placed your hands on your lap, your eyes following your fingers as they traced the pattern of your skirt. “I love you,” you said simply, voice so soft he could fall asleep listening to it.

Your eyes met, activating that magnetic charge between your bodies and you both began shuffling deeper into the booth until his arm was around your shoulder and your hand was on his knee. You leaned into him, his hair brushing against the side of your face as his fingers travelled down your curve, resting right above your hip, where your shirt met your skirt. With his lips pressed against the top of your head, your scent filling his mind, your breath matching his heartbeat, steady and tame, you both became to feel at ease. There was nothing you wouldn’t give just to spend the rest of your life here in this booth, secluded away from the rest of the horrible world in his arms. You’d make a world of your own, just you and Severus, living in bliss. 

The waitress came back too soon, startling you both as she set your tea and biscuits on the table before you. Giving his knee a small squeeze under the table, you went to reach for your belongings and retrieve your money bag when you heard the jingling of coins hitting the mahogany table. 

“It’s on me,” he said as you watched him hand the waitress three Gallons and five Sickles. You sat there silently as she told you both to enjoy your tea before making her way. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” you whispered nervously. You’d never enjoyed watching others paid for you, even if they were returning the favour. Some would call it a pride thing, others would call it selflessness, but in truth, you just didn’t want anyone to think you couldn’t make your own way. “I would have paid my fair share.”

Severus smiled as he slid his hand around your back, gripping your hip as he pulled you back into his embrace.

“I know,” he said, bringing his index finger under your chin, his thumb teasingly swiping your lips as his eyes screamed with hunger. “I wanted to.” You’d done so much for him these last three years, the least he could do was buy you a lousy cup of tea. 

You sat there, stunned in your place as you fell for his trance once again, wanting nothing more than for him to take you right here in this booth. A small ball of desire burst in your stomach and you felt your cheeks tint pink as you thought of all those moments in the Astronomy Tower, your rooms back at Cokeworth or the Leaky Cauldron, his hands gliding so perfectly over your skin, his breath hitching every time your lips parted from his.

“Thank you, Sev,” you whispered, and you just couldn’t take it anymore.

Taking his hand in yours, you moved his thumb out of your way as you kissed him, your breath stolen by the same boy who’d taken your heart. You leaned further into him and slowly lead his hand down to the edge of your skirt as your own weaved itself in his hair. You could feel the tips of his fingers, cold against your bare skin and you wanted him to slide them up further, you wanted more, but you knew he wouldn’t do such a thing here, even if you were hidden in the corner behind such a deep booth. 

You kept him steady as you parted, wanting to tease him further, keeping your lips so close to his as his eyes flickered open. He sat there, waiting in anticipation for your next move. He couldn’t lie, he loved it when you teased him like this. Smirking, you gently bit on his bottom lip before leaning back, your hand slipping through his long locks and resting on his shoulder. Neither of you made a single move as you enjoyed each other’s gaze, your eyes running over every feature of one the others face, memorizing every tone, every curve, every detail. Severus always enjoyed running his fingers over your skin during these times and you knew nothing would hold him back as his fingers so delicately ran across your cheek, your lips, your chin. 

“Tea’s getting cold,” he’d whispered, doing his best not to lose control. But how could anyone expect such a thing from him when he had such a beautiful girl centimetres away from him. 

You nodded your head and finally broke your gaze to pick up your cup as he reached for his own. Severus kept his arm firmly around your waist as you nibbled on some Jammie Dodgers and sipped on your tea. As you both picked up your prior conversation, Severus began to wish the school would give its students access to Hogsmeade every day because he would have loved nothing more than to end every night right here in this very booth, cuddled with you over a cup of tea. He’d have to take a mental note to try and replicate this moment later, but for now, he could enjoy the sweet sound of your voice, the enchanting smell of your hair and the elegant touch of your skin.


	6. Third Wheel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unwanted guest joins your study session and Severus is less than enthusiastic about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I didn’t expect this update to come so late, I’m so rusty but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I honestly cannot wait to get to the next part in this series and I wish I had the time to power through year 7. Good news is this is my last semester so once finals are over in a few months, my schedule should be a lot more predictable.

“Why would you invite him?” Severus couldn’t have reacted worse when you’d broken the news to him about the additional invitation you’d extended to a certain Ravenclaw without so much as consulting him first. Then again, what more would you expect from the person who’d been nagging you almost every day for alone time these past few weeks, claiming you were spending too much time out on the field and not enough time in his arms. 

“He said he’d been struggling to keep up with Slughorn so I thought, what would be the harm if he joined us?” You looked up at him with the most apologetic eyes you could muster, realizing just how betrayed he must have felt when he’d heard mention from your own lips of another boy intruding on what was supposed to be your time alone as a couple. 

“Do you know how hard it was to regain Slughorn’s trust?” His voice rose, his hands dramatically flaring about in comparison to his usual collected self. 

“Severus-” You’d stopped him in the middle of the empty corridor at the agitated tone he gave you. It hadn’t even crossed your mind the trouble he had gone through securing the empty classroom from that walrus of a man. But Severus had brought it up yesterday as if it was no big deal, like it was as easy as flying a broom on a clear and still day. You’d never imagined the situation looking as bad as it did to him when you’d invited Connor, and the more Severus went on, the worse you felt for what you’d done. 

“I was looking forward to an entire day alone with you.” He looked down at you with a frown you thought you’d never in his life cause and it broke your heart to know a choice you made upset him to this degree, the annoyance hidden in his tone making you wish you had the heart to tell Connor to leave when you got to the potions classroom. 

“I’m sorry Sev. I should have been more considerate,” you said, taking a step towards him, your fingertips gently sweeping across his hairline, pushing those long black strands away from his face. You’d love more than anything to see that frown transform into that sweet smile he’d always give you right now. “Let me make it up to you later?”

You wrapped one arm around his neck, letting the other cup his jaw as your thumb swiped his cheek. Looking into your eyes, he saw them soften, matching that gentle smile that always had his heart racing knowing, it was all for him. His own lips couldn’t help but curve to match yours as he melted into you. 

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he whispered, biting his bottom lip and eyeing yours with a mischievous look. 

“You tease!” You let out a crooked chuckle, lightly pushing both your hands on his chest, letting them rest there as he tightened his grip on your waist. Maybe he wasn’t as mad as you’d imagined after all. “What did you have in mind?”

The soft melody of your voice disappeared down the narrow hallway where he stood pressing himself closer to you, trapping you between his body and the wall. Severus let the corridor settle into complete silence, grasping onto your voice as it travelled away before responding. 

“We’ll, I wouldn’t mind waking up next to you again.” He teasingly nudged at your nose, whispering his desires to you, trusting you with his heart. He knew you’d understand, that you’d feel his desperate need for your presence weighing on his chest and eventually give him exactly what he wanted.

“That can certainly be arranged,” you whispered, pulling him closer, feeling the buckle under the jumper he wore press into your stomach. You gave him a little smirk, unable to keep your excitement down any longer. You had to tell him. There was no delaying this any longer. He deserved to know and besides, this little secret project you’d been trying to find the right time to share with him could very well help with his desperate need to spend every waking moment of the day with you. 

You nudged back at him and let out a small giggle as you both danced around the idea of a kiss neither of you would ever deny. You smiled, feeling the light brush of his breath against your lips. Weaving a hand through his hair, you tangled your fingers between his locks, gripping them tight as you held your place, millimeters away from his lips. 

Severus had no intention to give you that kiss he knew you craved, and he didn’t have to wait long before he felt your teeth grazing his bottom lip, your hands gripping him tight, pulling him flush against you. He grinned at your evident desire for him, taking a few steps forward, pressing your back against the concrete wall. You arched your back as the cold stones nipped against the thin fabric of your top, threatening to steal the heat building between you and Severus. 

You’d barely been together a year and he already knew how to take your breath away, teasing you, pushing you into his arms as you always seemed to find your heart begging for his touch. Finally, you gave in and pressed your lips against his, soft, loving moments passing by as you cherished every bit of his taste. Moans flowed through his throat like a melody the instant your lips met, satisfied by your show of defeat.

He parted the kiss just when your eagerness began to show as you dug your fingers deeper into his hair, your tongue swiping his bottom lip. You almost cursed when your excitement was cut short by his need to push your desire for him further. Well, if that’s how he wanted to play, then so be it.

“Meet me in the Astronomy Tower after dinner today?” You bit your bottom lip, batting your eyes ever so subtly as you teased him, rocking your hips and wrapped your arms tightly around his neck.

“Or,” he said as he edged forward, sure to press his chest to yours. “We could forget about potions and head there now.”

You smiled in satisfaction when you saw that twinkle of desire in his eye, begging you for your touch. “Tempting, but you know how behind I am Sev.”

And it wasn’t a complete lie. You truly had fallen behind, and Severus had taken it upon himself to book time in the potions classroom to catch you up. It was such a sweet thing for him to do, something you knew he’d never do for anyone else.

“Fine,” he sighed in defeat, taking your hand and resumed your way towards the dungeons. 

This year had barely begun, and it had already proven to be a lot more of a challenge than you’d initially anticipated. The first game of the season was approaching rapidly, and you still had so much training to put your team through (though they would claim otherwise). Severus, of course, did his best to support you without letting go of the burning need to spend time with you. At times, you wondered whether or not he’d take offense to bringing up the possibility for him to join a club or to simply expand his social circle a little more so long as he kept away from those horrible Slytherins he used to hang around before you’d come along. 

You were grateful for the kind, passionate man he was growing to be, but you couldn’t help but think back to the years he’d spent wasting time dabbling in the Dark Arts with his horrendous _‘friends’_. His life surely would have turned out much darker if he hadn’t abandoned them but that didn’t mean he couldn’t find other hobbies, other people to hang around. You shouldn’t be the only person in his life he felt comfortable around.

“Hey Connor,” you greeted your friend as you walked into the Potion’s classroom, the Ravenclaw boy already setting up his station, potions ingredients laid out, textbook on the table and cauldron set atop a burner. 

You placed your bag on the table, grabbed your textbook and flipped it open to the first page of the Amortentia chapter. Keeping a mental list in your head, you made your way over to the storeroom to retrieve the ingredients you’d need for your potion as Severus went to fetch you a cauldron. 

“(Y/N) says you’re a wiz in potions,” you heard Connor try to strike up a conversation with Severus and you smiled at the idea of your boyfriend interacting in a conversation that didn’t end with him demanding his converser to eat slugs. You only hoped he wouldn’t shut down the idea of speaking with Connor before putting in some effort. 

“Did she.” Severus couldn’t have sounded more agitated if he tried. 

“Yeah, which is impressive if you ask me. Potions as never my strong suite, too much technique and precision. I’ve always preferred much more straightforward classes like Charms.” Poor Connor had brushed right past Severus’ tone, continuing his attempt at a conversation and you knew you had to hurry before Severus’ patience ran thin. You’d done your best to calm him before entering the classroom, but there was only so much you could do since it had been _your_ choice in inviting Connor that had worn his patience in the first place.

“I’m sure,” and there it was, the pessimistic reply you knew was coming. “What potion are you brewing?”

Finally, you’d finished gathering all your ingredients, huddling them all in your arms as you quickly joined the boys, setting yourself between them with Connor sitting adjacent to you. 

“Sleeping Draught,” Connor said as he turned on the burner under his cauldron. You sat down beside Severus, finding your station all set up and ready to go for you as you placed your ingredients on the table, just in time to hear Severus sneer at the simplicity of the potion Connor was brewing. You didn’t have to ask, you knew what was running through his mind right now; pure judgment and some words to describe Connor you hoped he’d never say aloud. 

“What will you brew, (Y/N)?” Connor asked, eyeing the ingredients you’d brought as if trying to figure out the potion himself. Ravenclaws always seemed to have a knack for challenging themselves every which way they could and you really did admire that, but sometimes you wished they’d pick the right time for such things. Trying to challenge McGonagall’s knowledge of Animagus’ in the middle of class like that blond girl had in yesterday’s class for instance, really wasn’t a smart move. 

“Amortentia,” you said. “It’s one of the hardest potions to make but Severus seems to think he can help me brew it.”

“It’s not as difficult as Slughorn makes it sound,” Severus spoke lazily as he looked over the ingredients you’d brought over, disappointed to find you hadn’t taken note of the advice he’d given you in class last week. “(Y/N), I told you to start with rose water, it’ll speed up the seeping process.”

“Right,” you said, kicking yourself for forgetting such a vital thing when he’d gone on and on about all the alterations he’d made to the potion, in an attempt to improve it in class. He’d always go out of his way to help you despite the dirty looks and the exchanged whisperings of ‘traitor’ comments he’d get from his own house and here you were showing less than no appreciation for it. “I’m sorry Sev, I forgot.”

“It’s fine,” he said irritably. “But maybe start taking notes in your textbook to make it easier like I’ve been telling you to do.”

Severus pulled out a quill from his bag and handed it to you before making his way to the storeroom to fetch the ingredient you’d missed. Smiling to yourself, realizing how much he’d truly tried to help you with your studies, you pulled out your inkwell and scribbled down _‘Rose water’_ next to the list of ingredients.

Taking on the position of Quidditch Captain this year had taken quite a lot of work, and you just couldn’t help your mind wander during class to the various plays you’d been trying to work out the last few weeks. You’d been relying too heavy on Severus lately to take notes for you, and it wasn’t fair to him. You had to do better and start paying better attention in class. If you had, perhaps you would be spending your time snogging in the Astronomy Tower right now instead of reading this damn chapter and brewing this stupid potion all over again. 

Severus returned shortly after, swiftly taking his seat beside you and handing you the rose water. You thanked him with a gentle _please forgive me_ smile before pouring in the rose water and turning on the burner beneath your cauldron. Making sure this time to jot down every alteration Severus suggested, you did your best to keep your mind off of Quidditch and make the most of your time with him while trying to catch up on your work. 

It wasn’t easy to get over the look of irritation Severus gave you every time Connor spoke, but the simple touch of your fingers rubbing gentle circles on his knee under the table was enough to keep him calm and push through the evening with minimal protest. And sure, he was glad you were taking notes and paying so much attention, but couldn’t you just write a little faster and speed this along? There was just so much time left in the day and if he wasn’t going to play one-on-one tutor with you tonight then the least you could do was finish your potion early and grant him some time with you before dinner. Holding on to the thought of your promise to meet him in the Astronomy Tower tonight is all he could looking forward to, convincing himself it would be worth the torture he was being put through now. 

“What the hell are you doing!?” Severus’ attention had snapped to Connor and you both froze at his sudden outburst. The air grew stiff and time suddenly passed five times slower than usual as you looked Severus wide eyed. 

“… Adding some Standard Ingredient,” Connor said slowly as if speaking to a wary mother bear protecting her cub, hovering a fist full of the herbs over his brewing cauldron. You cautiously placed your hand on Severus’ leg, gently rubbing it, silently begging him to keep his cool and tone down his theatrics. 

“You should crush it first,” he said as if Connor had missed a vital step that could lead to nothing less of a catastrophe. The seriousness in Severus’ tone was all too adorable and you had to press your lips together to keep from smiling when you could see how mortified Connor was from the storm your Slytherin boyfriend caused. 

“But the book says-”

“The book’s wrong,” Severus interrupted Connor the second he mentioned the stupid textbook filled with nothing more than old outdated recipes written by Potion Masters too cowardice to experiment and advance in their field. “It’s much more beneficial if you crush it and release its essence, it’ll strengthen the potion and speed up the brewing process.”

“No kidding? Thanks.” You were pleasantly surprised at Connor’s acceptance of Severus’ advice without even batting an eye at his teaching method. “Got any other tips for Sleeping Draught?”

It would have been an understatement to say Severus was caught off guard by Connor’s attitude; a deer caught in headlights would have had a less shocked expression on its face. Severus felt his throat dry as he tried to compose himself. No one had ever taken his help with the smile and gratitude Connor showed right now when he snapped like that, not even you. Then again, any price would likely be worth paying for knowledge in a Ravenclaw’s eyes, even if it meant the needed tolerance to deal with his temper. 

Unlike his Slytherin peers, he’d always loved having Potions with the Gryffindors, giving Lily a reason to spend time with him and of course, this year he was beyond grateful for every class he shared with you. Not once had it crossed his mind that sharing Potions class with the Ravenclaws would have likely benefited him much more, giving him the opportunity to have an actual challenging, academic conversation with someone. Connor, of course, was probably the last Ravenclaw he would have approached but if he was able to converse with him over such a simple potion, he could only imagine the type of conversation he could have with a Ravenclaw that had the mental capacity to brew potions properly.

You sat there in complete silence, wondering if either of them would notice you gone if you just got up and left with how deep in conversation they were in. It was sweet to watch them bond and you thanked Merlin Severus was actually talking so passionately with someone other than you. He finally seemed to have opened up to the idea of befriending Connor and you couldn’t have been happier. 

“Seems like you’re almost done.” Your thoughts melted away as Connor’s voice snapped you back to reality. Looking down at your cauldron, you realized the colour of your concoction had cleared, telling you it was ready for the last ingredient.

Reaching for the jar of rose petals, you dropped seven of them in your cauldron one at a time, the rosy tone of each petal seeping into the potion, darkening it as it began to take effect. Naturally, your potion was near perfection, though what more would you expect with Severus holding your hand every step of the way. 

“Just turn down the heat and let it simmer for a while,” Severus pointed out to you, packing up his things as he turned to the clock, realizing that by the time you cleaned up, you’d both have to head to the Great Hall for dinner. At least he still had the Astronomy Tower to look forward to. 

“So, what do you smell?” Connor peered over your cauldron, taking a small whiff of your potion. You set aside your ladle and hovered a safe distance over the steaming cauldron, closing your eyes and taking in the sweet scents, trying to differentiate between them. 

“Old books… freshly cut grass… ash from a burnt fireplace… and… potion fumes.” Connor gave a small chuckle at the last scent you described, unaware it was in no way intended as a joke but was indeed what you smelled every night you cuddled with Severus after your Potions class. Severus smirked as you exchanged a quick look of passion. “What do you smell, Connor?”

You took a step back and gave Connor room to hover over the cauldron instead. “ _New_ books… leather… lavender… and … the smell of grass after rain,” he said, smiling as he stepped back. Perhaps it wasn’t such a great idea to inhale such a strong potion by the look on Connor’s face. It was like a drug you could never stop taking, the scent you smelled when you were close to Severus combined with the scent of the air around the Quidditch pitch in spring had to be the most majestically addicting thing you’d ever experienced.

“What about you Severus?” You spun around and asked, mostly curious to know if he’d smell your scent.

“Must you ask?” He rose a brow at you and brushed off your question as if the answer was written in the air in front of you. Giggling, you tucked your hair behind your ear, a light blush of pink appearing across your cheeks. The look he gave you was all you needed to see to know what he desired most; you.

Severus fought back a smile watching your face light up with obvious bliss. It was amazing how well you both had learned to communicate with one another like this, the trust and bond that had built between you. He’d never felt anything like it before, but it made him feel complete and he was ever so grateful for everything you were to him. 

“I’m going to see if I can snag some empty vials,” you said as you quickly hopped out of your seat, wandering away from them, worried Connor would catch onto the spark you’d accidentally ignited between you and Severus. It wasn’t that you _wanted_ to hide your relationship from him, but the air between him and Severus had already been so dense since the day they’d met and you didn’t want Connor to assume that just because you were dating, didn’t mean you couldn’t all be friends. Besides, they were just starting to bond, there was no need to break the harmony that was forming between you three now when it had yet to settle.

Connor turned his attention back to his own potion as you left and Severus began eying his cauldron, noticing he was practically finished as well. Such a simple potion should have been easy for a sixth year to brew, in fact Severus was sure that given the chance, he could brew it with his eyes closed in less than a half hour. He pitied Connor really, what sort of Ravenclaw could possibly perform so poorly in Potions? Then again, not everyone had grown up with a Potion’s Mistress as a mother, learning potions at a young age in an attempt to tether themselves to the Wizarding World without a wand at hand. 

Throwing all distaste for the boy you’d decided to befriend aside, he walked over to him and began instructing him on the last steps of the potion, explaining the science behind Sleeping Draught when he was asked. You’d returned to find Connor in deep concentration as he followed the scribbles Severus had drawn out on his version of _Advanced Potion Making._ Quietly making your way back to your cauldron as to not disturb them, you simply observed Severus and the passion that emulated off him as he tutored Connor. 

It took everything in you not to burst out in glee at Severus finally opening himself to the possibility of spending time with Connor, but knowing he’d immediately lunge away if you’d shown even a slimmer of delight, you did what you could to retain yourself. Instead, you brought your attention back to your own cauldron, looking down at the potion that had suddenly appeared almost pitch black to you with a glimmering layer of emerald green covering the surface, giving it quite the alluring look. You filled up all three vials you’d snagged from the storeroom (no need for Slughorn to know that) and reluctantly wove your wand over the cauldron, vanishing the remainder of the potion. 

“Find any more of those vials (Y/N)?” Connor asked, turning off his own burner and setting his ladle down. You leaned over his cauldron to find a nearly perfect Sleeping Draught before your eyes went back to him. You were going to say no since the less vials that went missing, the less suspicious Slughorn would be, but such a potion could really come in handy. You couldn’t really tell whether it was the stress of your N.E.W.Ts class, the pressure that had grown on you as Quidditch Captain or the sorrow you felt at the thought that it would be your last year at Hogwarts, your future and Severus’ still so unclear but, you’d hardly slept over the last month, always waking in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep.

“Yeah,” you said, “There’s a tone in this wooden crate under the shelves on the left.”

“Thanks.” And with that, Connor set off towards the storeroom, leaving you and Severus a alone at last. Unable to hold in your excitement any longer, you turned to Severus, smiling as if you’d found out a happy little secret he was too embarrassed to speak of. 

“So, does this mean you’ll finally consider Connor a friend?” You whispered to him, smiling from ear to ear as you leaned in just a little closer.

“I have no bloody clue what you mean (Y/N).” Severus fell back into his usual defensive self, his hair falling over his face as it would when he felt the need to hide himself from the world. He hadn’t done that to you in quite a while and it just had you giggling at the situation. Who knew Severus Snape could be so easily flustered?

“Oh come on!” You took a step closer as you began teasing him. “You _like_ him.”

“Shut up,” Severus immediately spit out, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks, regretting his words as soon as they left his lips. Wide eyed, he looked at you, praying you took no offense to his agitated tone, only to find that smirk on your face still resting there, silently badgering him. 

“Fine,” you said, putting on an overdramatic show of annoyance as you quickly turned your back to him and looked over your shoulder just to display your taunting smile. “I supposed I’ll just go to bed after dinner tonight.”

Severus grunted in discontent at the mention of you cancelling the only thing getting him through this treacherous evening, knowing fully well you didn’t mean it by the sarcasm in your tone. 

“So,” you said as you shook one of the vials filled with Amortentia in front of him. “What colour do you see?”

Severus smirked, quickly spinning around to take a peek at the storeroom, checking to see if Connor was still rummaging through the crates, looking for empty vials before gently pulling you into his arms by your waist. “(Y/H/C),” he whispered to you. “And gold.”

“Gold?” Your cheeks speckled pink as you smiled. Is that really the colour he associated with the thought of you? How royal. 

“Of course,” he said, letting his hands slip down to rest on your hips. His eyes flickered down to your lips as he slowly began to lean forward. He really didn’t get enough time with you. 

The rustling from the storeroom followed by the creek of the door Connor closed had Severus sliding his hands off of you. He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked past you, feeling his frustration rise to a level he himself was unaware he could reach. If only he could apparate you both away right now or reach for his wand and scare off the intruder. But even if he had either ability, he knew how disappointed in him you’d be. Besides, the nosey Ravenclaw didn’t seem so bad after all. At least he had half a mind compared to those Gryffindor’s you hung around. 

You let out a gentle sigh as you pressed your lips together, your eyes following Severus as he made his way around you until he’d disappeared behind you. Turning your attention back to where you’d seen Connor approaching, you found yourself face to face with him, holding up three of his own vials.

“That man needs to organize that room better,” he said as he stepped towards his cauldron and began filling up the vials one at a time. 

You chuckled in agreement, but your mind had strayed, and it was too late now to snap back to thoughts about something as bane as potion. There was really only one thing to do now; pack up as quickly as you could, say goodbye to Connor and find a dark corner alone somewhere to enjoy the remaining fifteen minutes you had left before dinner. Looking over at Severus as you made your way back to your own belongings, you saw him zipping up his own bag, obviously with the same thought you had running through his head. 

“Here you go Connor,” you said as you passed a vial of Amortentia over to him, another to Severus and the third found its way safely in the inner pouch of your bag. “Careful with that, it’s very strong.”

“Of course. And here,” he passed you a vial of his own potion, handing one to Severus as well and like you, stuffed the third in his bag. You thanked Connor (on behalf of Severus as well as yourself) for the Sleeping Draught as he quickly wove his wand to vanish the remainder of his potion. 

“Well, we better head to the Great Hall,” you said as you sloppily put away your cauldron, grasping at every potion’s ingredient Severus hadn’t grabbed first. “It’s almost time for dinner.”

The speed you both were cleaning made Connor appear as if he was living in slow motion, just barely finished with closing up his bag as you both returned from the storeroom, grabbing your things and making your way out the door, you shouting a quick ‘see you’ to Connor (once again on behalf of you and Severus) as you left him in the potion’s classroom. 

“You don’t think that was rude of us, do you?” You whispered to Severus as you speed walked down the hall of the dungeon making your way towards the basement. “I feel a little guilty for running out on Connor like that.”

“No, no. It’s fine, I’m sure he didn’t pick up on anything.” Severus honestly couldn’t care less right now how Connor felt about their abrupt exit. All he cared about were the remaining eleven minutes till dinner he had full intention of using to his benefit, making you wish you’d never invited Connor to their late evening of studying potions together.

Once out of sight of roaming students, Severus quickly took your hand and pulled you into a nearby corridor, aware of the little time he had and immediately resumed the dance you were playing before your afterhours potions class. His lips connecting with yours, his hands found your wrists, pinning you against the wall, slowly sliding them to rest above your head. 

Always so needy and you absolutely loved feeling wanted in this way. He lived off your love for him and you’d felt the same way for a while now too. You moaned into his mouth, back arched, your chest pressing against his as you gently tugged your hands down, wanting nothing more than to feel him under your fingertips and that is exactly the reaction he was looking for. 

Tightening his grip around your wrists, he firmly held his place, quickly parting from your kiss leaving you completely unsatisfied only to leave the gentlest of kisses down your jaw and towards your neck. He didn’t bother loosening your tie and instead pressed his lips to the fabric of your collar, teasing you even further. 

“Severus,” you whined, your legs ever so slightly beginning to rub together as you desperately tried to free yourself and take from him what he so evidently was denying you. But unfortunately for you, his resilience and your weakness for his kisses kept you locked in place, having to slowly endure this torture he was putting you through. 

It wasn’t long before you found yourself whimpering at the loss of contact when Severus exclaimed time was up, picking up his bag from off the floor, stepping back from you. Never had you felt so unhinged with him before and because you knew him so well, you were sure his actions were a result of the invitation you’d extended to Connor to apparently ‘ruin your evening’. 

“So, shall I see you in the Astronomy Tower after supper?” Severus asked with a grin, his tone giddy as if he’d just found out he’d come first in all his classes. You quickly picked up your bag and crossed your arms, showing him just how unhappy your denied request for his affection had made you. But of course, you couldn’t be mad at him for that and the smile that made its way to your lips gave that away. Spinning around on your heels, you huffed in annoyance, making a bit more of a show than you’d intended, and stormed away.

“Is that a yes?” he chuckled, shouting after you, content that his point had come across much stronger than initially intended. Smiling to himself, he could only think of the events that would take place after dinner tonight as he jogged a few paces to catch up with you. 

_Yup, that’s a yes._


	7. Hush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Severus after dinner as promised and share with him the project you’ve been working on all year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/H/C) = Your hair colour

“I told you we should have just skipped dinner,” Severus said to you as he pushed his way through the crowd leaving the Great Hall, the only thing keeping him from losing his patience was your hand in his, dragging him along as you hurried towards the Astronomy Tower. It seemed that this time around, you may be the one to lose your patience before he did.

You smiled back at him in a quick acknowledgment but kept your focus on getting yourself to a private place and finally show Severus the secret project you’d been working on all year. He of course still had the idea that you’d dragged him out of the Great Hall straight after dinner on another, more… sinful notion. And though you did rather enjoy the feeling of his hands hungrily grasping your body, his lips pressed against every inch of you, this little secret of yours was something arguably much more in need of privacy than some naughty fondling, something you’d been dying to share with him.

You were nervous, anyone would be if they were about to trust someone with such a big secret. But you’d already given Severus your heart and you’d trust him with it, so you knew you could trust him with this. You knew he’d do right by you. There was so much you’d been keeping to yourself these last few months, dying to tell someone, anyone and you couldn’t even count the times you’d almost slipped up in front of Severus, biting your tongue and pretending to be swamped with homework, just to keep that secret of yours bottled up. 

But finally, as you slammed the door shut, locking it behind you and pulling out your wand to cast a _Muffilatio_ charm around the room, you could unload this weight on Severus. You could share the one part of your life you couldn’t keep hidden from him any longer. 

“Are you alright?” He asked as he watched you frantically place as many protective charms around the room as you could remember. “You’re being uncharacteristically skittish.”

“Sev, I have to show you something,” you said, finally turning your attention to him as you put away your wand and stood yourself in front of him. Your nerves were going completely ballistic as the moment came nearer, concern for his reaction growing to an uncontrollable size. But you knew him, and you knew even if he didn’t support every decision you made, he still supported you. 

“You’re scaring me (Y/N). What’s going on?” Severus took a step forward, reaching to hold you in his arms but you’d stepped back before he’d gotten the chance. He’d never seen you this nervous before; your bravery, always one of the qualities he loved about you now gone, leaving you alone to face whatever it was that was causing that jitter hidden behind your tone. But it was that step you took away from him that had him truly concerned. Was the weight on your shoulders really that great you felt the need to back away from him? Or perhaps the weight you were eager to release _was_ him.

“I want to share something with you, but you have to promise, _promise me Severus,_ that it won’t leave this room.” You looked at him with eyes full of trust, begging and pleading for him to agree to your terms. 

Shock was really the only way to describe his current state, the look you gave him doing absolutely nothing for his own worry right now. He knew you’d had trouble trusting him in the past, and for good reason of course, so obviously, whatever you wanted to trust him with now meant quite a lot to you. 

“I promise, (Y/N). Please, please tell me what’s wrong,” he pleaded, and you could tell by his tone that your words had him concerned.

You took in a deep breath, in through your nose, out through your lips and took another larger step back, motioning for him to stay where he stood. The moment had come, and you had never felt so doubtful in your life. This was likely one of the biggest secrets you’d ever possess, and he was going to be the first (and hopefully the only) person you’d share it with. You’d already entrusted him with your love when you started dating again last year, but this, this secret meant you would be trusting him with your life as well. 

Closing your eyes, you took in a few short breaths before you cleared your mind and focused on the task at hand. You felt the room enlarge as you had before when you’d practiced, the floor rising higher and higher. Opening your eyes, you looked up at the hung look on Severus’ face, waiting to see his reaction, praying he wouldn’t bolt towards that locked door. 

He couldn’t believe what he’d witnessed. His own girlfriend, his best friend and soulmate, had completely vanished before his eyes. He’d stood there frozen for what felt like a lifetime, trying to process the disappearance of the girl who shared his heart with until finally he felt his breath return to his body. He blinked rapidly, yet the sight before him remained. So, it was true what he’d seen, his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, he wasn’t hallucinating, you weren’t pranking him. 

Letting out a breath of acceptance, he smiled as he knelt down, offering his hand out to the cat who’d appeared in your place, watching as it stood on all fours and walked over to him. The cat approached until he could feel it’s soft (Y/H/C) fur under his fingertips, purring as it began rubbing against his palm, up to his wrist. Severus gently pet the cat, it’s fur familiar to the touch as if he’d simply been running his fingers through your hair. The soft purring that filled the room carried your tone and for a moment he thought he could hear your voice. The cat that had appeared in your place was you; you were an Animagus! 

Severus smiled as he sat back, crossing his legs and letting you crawl into his lap. He watched you jump onto his legs and look up at him with those beautiful eyes of yours. Continuing to run his fingers through your fur, he began to wonder how he hadn’t caught on to this before with all those excuses you’d given him about your Transfiguration extracurricular project and talk about Quidditch Captain duties. 

“I can’t believe you’re an Animagus,” he whispered to you, fully aware your meowed response would be completely incoherent to him. You both sat there a while, enjoying the peace of each other’s company as Severus began to get used to your new form before you finally transfigured back into your regular self, your legs thrown over his as you sat there on his lap. 

“I’m glad you didn’t freak out,” you said as you happily threw your arms around his neck. Severus smiled at you, examining the peaceful, now calm look on your face. 

“Well, perhaps if you’d turned into a werewolf I would have,” he joked. You chuckled and felt eternally grateful for him. He was always so supportive of you, never once going against you or a choice you’d made. Even when he complains about your diminishing time alone with him, you knew it was simply because he loved you. “So, I presume your secrecy and nervousness comes from the fact that you aren’t registered.”

You nodded your head, feeling a little ashamed for skipping a few legal lines when it came to your little project. But really, what were you to do when the process the Ministry had set took about three years, and that was only after you’d turned twenty-one and received the proper certifications. The rules were absolutely rubbish and it was no wonder they had so few registered Animagus’. In all honesty, you wouldn’t even be surprised to hear of the existence of a few more unregistered Wizards or Witches like yourself. 

“But I trust you Severus, only you.”

He immediately cupped your cheek and looked deep into your eyes, offering the most loving smile you’d ever seen him wear. He was so loyal, always so loyal and you loved that about him. But you could see he held some reservations about what you’d shared with him as his eyes shifted down and his fingers gently played with the hem of your skirt. 

“(Y/N), this must have taken you months to do. Why didn’t you share this with me before? Why wait until now?” He couldn’t lie, he was a bit hurt you hadn’t involved him in the process, especially since you both worked so well together, your skills complementing one another. But most of all, he was a little upset you hadn’t asked him for his thoughts before jumping into the process. Then again, perhaps it was for the best you’d kept him in the dark when he knew he would have tried to convince you of how horrible an idea it was and that you should go through the proper channels to register which likely would have led to a fight. 

“It was something I wanted to do on my own, Sev. To prove to myself that I _could_ do it on my own,” you said, trailing your hand down to rest over his chest. Slowly you began rubbing small comforting circles over his uniform, knowing he of all people would understand the need to build independence. “You won’t believe how difficult it was to complete; the research, the tasks, the potions. I had to keep a bloody Mandrake leaf in my mouth for an entire month!”

“Is that why you refused to give me more than a lousy peck on the cheek all of September?” He rose a brow at you, remembering that gruesome month full of worry and despair over your lack of affection. He could have sworn you were upset with him and he was about to confront you about it too until you suddenly lunged at him one day, attacking him with a month’s worth of kisses, clawing at his robes.

“Sorry love,” you giggled, admitting your guilt for the loveless month you’d caused. “But like I said, I can make it all up to you now.”

Leaning closer to him, you pressed a hand down on his chest, motioning for him to lie back as you adjusted yourself to hover over him. His hands went to your waist as you connected your lips, immediately deepening the kiss as soon as his head rested on the wooden floor beneath you. Throwing a leg over his waist, you kept the other between his, giving you the incentive you needed to press your body flush against his. 

All thoughts of disappointment in your exclusion of him regarding your secret Transifguration’s project slipped his mind, replaced with lust and desire for your touch, the taste of your skin. Trailing your lips down his jaw, you clawed at his tie, loosening it as much as his jumper would allow before tackling the two irksome buttons that stood between you and his pale skin. It took all of three seconds before your lips had settled, gently biting and grazing that spot on his neck that always had him moaning for more. 

Your hands roamed his slim physique, grasping at his slightly oversized uniform as his own went to seek out the pleasure of the little exposed skin your skirt allowed. He’d always loved skin to skin contact, that had been clear to you months ago. It wasn’t until you’d worn pants over the summer that you’d discovered this need of his, grasping for the skin exposed by the t-shirt you had on that day instead of slipping his hands over your legs like he normally would during your time at school. In actuality, you were relieved to see it was your bare skin he was always searching for since you’d been given quite a different impression every time he snuck his hands up your skirt, running them up and down your thighs.

“It’s getting pretty late,” you whispered, detaching yourself and propping up on your elbows to brush a few strands of his hair back in place. “Shall we head back to your dorm?” 

Severus normally would have protested at the request to stop such an intimate moment with you, but what you offered in return… well, how could he say no to that. He quickly nodded his head in agreement, jumping to his feet and reached for his bag, following your lead. You smiled at his eagerness, stopping him to fix his tie before leaving the Astronomy Tower and quickly making your way towards the dungeons. 

Ducking into a vacant corridor, you hastily changed into your Animagus form, following closely behind Severus as he opened the door to the Slytherin common room, making his way straight for the boys dorm where he placed his bag down next to his bed while you jumped up onto the mattress. Severus wasted no time as he popped open his trunk and removed his usual bedwear and placed them on the bed, hastily beginning to change out of his uniform.

You were thankful it was still early and only a few of Severus’ dormmates had called it a day, but you still felt your nerves escalate, worried about what would happen if anyone caught you in here, or worse, found out you were an unregistered Animagus. You didn’t dare transform back to yourself until Severus had closed the curtains completely, giving you as much privacy as you could get in a room shared with a dozen other Slytherins. 

Severus waited a few minutes before climbing under the curtain himself, finding you sitting on your side, wearing his worn-out black top with your uniform neatly folded beside you. He smiled and gathered your clothing, stuffing them under the bed before reaching to change into the trousers you’d left untouched. Sneaking back into bed with you, he wove his wand, casting a silent _Muffalinto_ charm over his bed and prayed that would be enough to keep the world from intruding on your privacy. 

You smiled at him as he pulled back the covers for you to crawl under, waiting for him to stuff his wand under his pillow before cuddling up to him, placing a leg between his. Severus slithered an arm beneath you, embracing you to gently roll you over, sure to keep a hand over your bare thigh as he dipped himself into you. Your lips were inches apart, yet neither of you felt the urge to do more than let your hands explore each other’s bodies. 

Severus could hardly believe you’d managed to sneak into his bed, but he definitely wasn’t one to complain. He was grateful for your presence and ecstatic over the lack of layers barricading you from him. He slid his hand up and down the exterior of your leg as he’d done so many times before, but this time, he’d let his fingers graze from your knee all the way up to the outline of your knickers, leaving goosebumps in his trial. 

Moments passed and he couldn’t resist any longer, the feeling of your hands exploring every inch of his upper body exposed for the first time to the cool air swirling through the dungeons, finally resting right above the waistband of his trousers. He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to yours with all the passion he could muster, pouring his desire into the kiss. 

You let out a soft moan, moving your hands to his lower back and immediately froze in place, remembering where you were. Your heart stopped and all you could think about was what would happen if those curtains had suddenly been pulled back; a Gryffindor caught in a Slytherin’s bed. The school would never let the incident go, rumours spread between students, your likely expulsion ruining the career you hadn’t even started. Severus would never want to speak to you again, though why would he if the ministry were to ever discover your legal status, you’d surely be thrown into an Azkaban cell, never to be heard from again. 

“Relax love,” Severus whispered gently, parting from your kiss and moving down towards your neck when he felt you go stiff. “I cast a few charms around us, no one can hear us.”

His words were comforting, they always were, but you still couldn’t shake the feeling of the presence of others around you and, who could blame you? After all, despite the curtains and the charms, you still weren’t alone in his dorm. 

“Sev, do you think we could… pause for tonight?” Your whisper was so low, you were sure that even without the charms, no one but Severus could hear you. 

Severus stopped his motions and propped himself up to look at you when he heard the concern in your voice. He understood your reservations, especially when he felt them himself even after charming the curtains, convincing himself they were alone. Smiling down at you, he moved a hand up to cup your jaw, his thumb placed gently on your cheek, softly swiping over your delicate skin. “Of course.”

He would give you the sun and the moon if you’d asked for them. You were his everything and he couldn’t bear the thought of making you uncomfortable. 

Leaning back, he made himself comfortable before opening his arms up to you, throwing the covers over your shoulders as you cuddled up to his side. You both spend the next two hours simply existing in silence, gentle strokes being passed between you before you drifted off to sleep. Severus kept himself awake as long as he could, refusing to close his eyes in fear he’d open them to find you a complete illusion. But eventually, he mustered up the courage to relax his muscles and close his eyes, the weight of your body snuggled up next to him a comfort as he finally felt the whisper of sleep calling him. Despite the few hiccups, the day was perfect, it always was with you, and the night had unquestionably ended the same way. He was sure he’d wake up tomorrow feeling the same joy he did now, and nothing could have comforted him more, not even the thought of receiving a first class Order of Merlin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, is it just me or does it seem as though everything in the last few chapters end up with them pouncing on each other lol This year obviously has too much fluff, guess I’ll just have to make up for that in the next part of the series 😉


	8. Lucky Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus meets you to wish you good luck before your first game of the season

The rain was pouring down hard and yet he still found himself waiting outside the stadium all because his girlfriend asked him to be there. He couldn’t remember a single day during his childhood where he felt this much hatred towards rainfall, especially heavy ones. When other children grew sad at the gloomy weather, he was happy to have something to help drown out the constant arguments echoing through every wall of his house. That had all changed when he met Lily. From that day forwards, he’d lived to see her, and the rain had interfered with those plans. The park where he’d usually expect to see her was empty and he’d stand there in the rain for such a long time, waiting for her to show up, hoping that she would. But when she never did, he’d run over to her house, chasing her like a lost puppy trying to find its owner. 

Today was an entirely different story. He knew you wouldn’t let rain come between you and your plans. He knew he wouldn’t be standing here for as long as he did back then because _you_ were different. You loved him and though he would gladly wait here, standing miserably in the rain for days just to see you, he was sure you’d never enforce such a torturous thing on him. 

“Sev!” And as if right on queue, Severus turned around at the sound of your call to see you under the entrance of the Gryffindor changing room, gesturing for him to join you, away from the downpour. He smiled and immediately sprinted your way, stepping through the door before you closed it shut as he ruffled his dripping hair.

“You’re absolutely drenched!” you exclaimed and immediately went to grab a towel from the rack near the bathroom. You were quick to rejoin him, placing the towel over his head and drying his hair without a second look at him. “How long have you been out there?”

Severus only shrugged, knowing you wouldn’t approve of his answer. Instead, he stilled your hands and removed the towel from his head, throwing it on the nearest bench and snuck an arm around your waist, smiling like the love-struck boy he was.

“Sev, you should have knocked on the door, or just made your way to the stands. I can’t believe you just stood out there,” you said, furrowing your brows in concern as you brushed your fingers through his hair, pushing it back to reveal his glowing face. Despite his obvious glee, you couldn’t help but feel guilty for making him wait outside for so long, but it didn’t take long for your worries to fade as your eyes met his and you saw the smirk on his face. Watching his smile grow and the joy he showed every time he’d see you always seemed to have the power to melt away all of your worries, leaving you with nothing but the love between you. 

“So why did you want to see me before the game?” He asked softly, changing the subject as he stepped back from you and removed his outer robes, wrapping it up in his hands and squeezing it, letting a pool of water puddle on the floor. 

You watched him wave his wand over the puddle and vanish it before reaching for the locket under your now damp Quidditch uniform, unclasped it and let it fall into your hands. Severus turned his attention back to you, stopping his motions when he saw the familiar silver shine in the corner of his eye. It had been a while since he’d seen that locket, but it still had the same enchanting aura to it, especially when he saw his own name scribbled out on its cover as you held it. 

“I can’t wear this during the game,” you explained, “It could get caught on something or fly loose and get in my way and I just don’t want anything to happen to it.” Without another word, you grabbed his hand, fingertips as cold as ever and placed the locket in his palm before pushing his fingers to wrap around it.

“Keep it safe for me?” you asked, stepping as close as you could, eyes twinkling and lips stretched into the sweetest of smiles. “For luck?”

Severus’ eyes couldn’t leave the sight of his fist clutching onto the locket with your hands over it as if to protect and cherish the love between you and here you were, entrusting him with it when he knew how much that locket had meant to you. He hadn’t seen you go a day without wearing it, not one. Even over the summer, you’d show up to work with it, you even slept with it on, the cold metal always kept warm by your love and now it was his turn to do the same. 

“You want me to hold on to it?” He asked, wondering why you didn’t simply put it away with the rest of your belongings and place a protection charm over it if you really felt the need. 

You nodded your head as your smile grew wider. It was adorable how he still questioned your trust in him, even though he knew deep down how much faith you had in him. “I always want to keep it close to my heart.”

You moved your hands to gently stroke his arms, feeling your nerves settle back in as the time for the first game of the season approached. Eventually, the stress you felt became too overwhelming so you did the only thing you knew would help ease off the pressure and snuck a hand around his waist, pressing yourself into his slim figure, taking him a bit by surprise as his focus remained on the locket in his hand. 

He smiled as he opened the locket, touched at the thought that you would trust him with such a task. Watching as the figures displayed in his hand danced gracefully, he found himself stepping away from the jealous feeling he’d normally have of the boy you were with that night and instead had nothing but happiness for him. He’d come such a long way with you, grown so much as a person, all because of the second chance you’d granted him, not even Felix Felicis could have shown him as much luck as he’d received this past year. 

“Then I’ll guard it with my life,” he said, closing the locket, placing it at the bottom of his trousers’ pocket. Looking back at you, the smile he expected to fill his heart with complete bliss seemed to slowly fade off your face as a tone of worry began making itself apparent instead.

“What’s wrong?” He asked you, hooking a finger under your chin and bringing your gaze up to meet his. Your attention snapped from the depths of your thoughts to his eyes and you let the stress weighing you down slowly roll off your shoulders. 

“It’s nothing, I’m just really nervous,” you said, the petite volume of your voice giving away how truly worried you were. “What if we lose Sev? It’s my first game as Captain, and if we lose, it’ll just show the whole world how unfit I am for this position.”

You spilled your guts, sharing your burden with him as you’d both learned to do over the last few months. He’d been your rock as you had him and you couldn’t imagine going through today without him, you couldn’t imagine spending the rest of your life without him. It was your game, your team, your future out on the line tonight but you both knew the pressure and stress you felt was shared between you both. He felt your anxiety rise and your concerns grow because you shared one soul.

“This is just the beginning of the season (Y/N). You’re letting your nerves control your emotions, just breath and focus on the game.”

His words had you do nothing more than pull him closer, your arms wrapped tightly around his waist as you groaned into his chest. It was really the only reaction he could have ever expected from you knowing how you get when you were this stressed out. Still he couldn’t help his lips twitch into a subtle smile, finding the way you dug yourself into him absolutely endearing. 

“Would you feel better if I gave you a small token of luck?” He said as he stroked your hair in comfort. His comment definitely got your attention as you peeled yourself away enough to look up at him, wondering if ‘token of luck’ was code for a certain potion you knew he had the ability to brew. But his explanation was much more rewarding than any potion he could have offered you. “A kiss now and if you win, I’ll kiss you again after.”

“Oh?” You said, biting your bottom lip, failing to suppress the smile, giving away the fact that he’d successfully helped ease the pressure off of you. “You won’t kiss me if we lose?”

Severus let out a small hum as if he was debating the matter, obviously fouling no one when his joy for your lifted mood was so evidently written all over his face. Tilting his head and slowly leaning forward to close the distance between you, he pressed his lips to yours as he hugged you tightly. You moved your lips with his, as you moved your hands up his chest to tangle them in his damp hair, any remaining doubt washing away with his kiss. His touch was so soft and full of lust, eager to show you just how much he cares for you and you couldn’t wait to jump into his arms after the game, win or lose. 

“I’ll kiss you anyways,” he whispered as he parted your kiss, hovering his lips over yours.

You didn’t want to open your eyes because that would mean the moment was over and you couldn’t bear that just yet. Just a few more moments of _this_ is all you wanted. You let your hands slip down from his hair and settle atop his jaw instead, your thumb grazing his cheek, his skin warm despite the chilly weather outside. 

You kept your gaze locked on his dark eyes as you slowly walked backwards, regrettably pushing him away. “I should get going,” you said, grabbing your broom. “And you, should go find a seat before the game begins. Hope you’ll be cheering me on?”

“Keeping your locket safe is one thing, but cheering for the opposing team,” he said, the exaggerated tone in his voice letting slip the sarcastic comment you could see coming from a mile away. “Well, I’d have to be mad to do such a thing.”

You laughed, loving how well you’d come to know him and his humour. Looking at him one more time, wishing he could join you on the pitch, you committed his smile to memory and continued to battle your growing anxiety with the comfort you felt with Severus as you slowly made your way out. Severus followed you to the door leading to the pitch and stayed out of sight as he watched you walk over to the rest of your team. He stood there, out of sight as you spoke with the Gryffindor team and found himself unable to take his eyes off you until you’d mounted your broom, kicked off the ground and fused with the rest of the Quidditch players in the air. 

He let out a content smile before grabbing his damp robes and made his way to find a seat alongside the other Slytherins. Sure to sit as close to the front row of the stands as he could, he began searching the sky for you and with that brand new broom of yours, it wasn’t too hard of a task. He admired the way you elegantly glided through the air as he reached into his pocket and clutched the locket holding it tightly in his fist.

Nothing could have kept him from watching you lead your team to victory one pass at a time, not even the progressively worsening weather. He could only imagine what it would have been like if you’d played for the Slytherin team instead. The humiliation he was sure you’d put Potter through, snatching the Quidditch fame he loved so much away from him and claiming it as your own. His old friends would have been celebrating you, admiring your relationship together, envious of him. But at the end of the day, it really didn’t matter what house you played for, even if it was Gryffindor. It didn’t change your perfection and it definitely didn’t change the way he saw you; his angel of amour, flying through the air. 

The game was over, and everyone was making their way back to the castle, but he couldn’t find it in himself to head to the Astronomy Tower where he’d agreed to wait for you. He didn’t want to walk through the rain and sit there alone like all those weeks he’d spent in that same corner before he met you. He wanted to walk down to the Gryffindor changing room, to hug you, to congratulate you for the first win of the season. But of course, like every other good thing in his life, there had to be some barrier in his way. 

Looking to his left, he briefly debated if he should just stay out in the rain and wait for you outside the change room but quickly decided against it after thinking about the look on your face when you realized he’d stood there drenched, waiting for you again. So instead, he hung onto the thought of seeing your face glowing the second you stepped into the room at the top of the Astronomy Tower and made his way over to sit in your usual corner. 

Bringing his knees up to his chest, he placed his hands in front of him and unhinged his fist to reveal the locket he’d held onto the last two hours. Your name was etched onto the cover and he felt like he could spend the rest of his life memorizing every curve, every dent of your handwriting. Clicking it open he watched the figures in the locket resume their dance, slowly swaying in each other’s arms. You looked so at peace with him and he could almost hear the song playing at the time of the Ball in his head. It was a magnificent night, an almost perfect moment with the person he cared the most about in this world and it saddened him to remember the look on your face at the end of it when he’d ruined it all. 

You’d left the pitch as soon as you could, dismissing the team, knowing they were ready to head back to the common room and celebrate, so you let them go, feeling your own excitement rise as you jogged down towards the Astronomy Tower. Severus looked so focused, living in his own mind and ignoring the world around him as you spotted him the second you stepped through those doors. Walking towards him, you wondered what had him so grasped away from reality, he was uncharacteristically unaware you’d entering the room. 

“Guess it worked,” you said softly as you watched Severus and noticed your locket in his hands. “My lucky charm.”

Severus smiled when he saw you, closing the locket and jumping to his feet, quickly rushing towards you. You could hardly process his movement before you found yourself in his arms, his hands pressing you into his chest as he nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck. You hugged him back and smiled at his sudden affection, watching him lift his head to give you the kiss he’d promised to give you.

“You don’t need luck,” he whispered, as he parted, meeting his forehead with yours. “You’re amazing all on your own.”

After all these months together, you still couldn’t get used to his compliments, heat rising to your cheeks every time he did. His joy in the words he spoke to you however was evident every time he got you alone.

“You did well today,” he added as he leaned back and opened his eyes.

“You really think so?” You’d won yet you still couldn’t help nitpicking every little mistake you’d made, ever slip up one of your teammates made when executing a play you’d been practicing over the last two months. You could have done better, your team _should_ have done better, but you couldn’t let that compulsive nature that sat buried in your chest take over. You won, and you should be happy, you should celebrate with Severus because this is what you wanted; to start off the season with a bang. 

“I know so.”

Severus let his grip loosen, stepping back from you and holding up the necklace in his hands, holding it by its chain. Unclasping the hook, he motioned for you to turn around before placing it over your neck and securing it. The second your locket hit your chest, you reached for it, feeling the metal warm from his touch between your fingers as you looked down to see his name appear, replacing your own. 

When you felt him let go of the chain, you turned around and took his hand, leading him back to the corner you’d found him in and began talking about how well your team has been training during practice. You went on to speak about the plans you had in mind for your next practice and all the moves you wanted them all to learn but Severus couldn’t help his mind wander once again, your voice blurring as he took your hand and let his fingertips explore your texture of your skin.

You quickly noticed his lack of attention to your words and began reciprocating his touch instead. After a few teasing brushes, you intertwined your fingers with his and leaned into him, cuddling against his side. 

You both sat there a while, in silence, exchanging a few subtle motions; your fingers through his hair, his lips pressed to your temple, your soft caresses to his leg. Nothing but bliss and lust filled the room and you were sure that no one could have been happier than you in this moment.


	9. Prove Me Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired of the way he hunches over when he reads, you take it upon yourself to help him correct his posture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/E/C) = Your eye colour

“Shh!” There was no point in trying, Severus knew that. The second you set your mind to something, he knew you wouldn’t let up until you got your way, especially when it involved him. Yet that small feeling of hope for compliance still pushed him to shush you as he sat there in the depths of the library, doing his best to ignore your consistent annoyance and focus on the words in front of him instead. 

“Severus come on!” you said, trying your best not to raise your voice too high, knowing the attention you’d get in the library with everyone studying for their mid-year exams. Scouting your chair closer to him, you reached over to try and pull the book attached to his nose away from him. He had a death like grasp on it, as if letting it go would bring about the end of days, but that wasn’t about to stop you from trying. Raising yourself off the seat enough to gain a little more strength, you held onto the book tightly and slid into his lap, surprising him with a soft kiss on the cheek. Your unexpected move had the exact effect you were looking for and you finally felt his grip falter enough to let you snatch away that damn book. The moment you’d thrown it off to the side of the table, you’d crashed your lips into his, smiling as you surprised the urge to laugh. 

“(Y/N)!” Severus had shifted that death grip from his book to your arms, pulling you away as soon as he felt your lips against his. “Are you mad?!”

He felt his cheeks burn red as he looked down the hall, praying no one would turn the corner and invade his time with you. Over the years, Potter had gifted him the compulsive need to hold onto what he loves as well as the agonizing desire to constantly look over his shoulder, so naturally, he was at times overly protective of you, hoping that limiting your public displays of affection would guard and protect your love. It was bad enough you had to endure secondhand harassment when you became friends and he could only imagine how much worse it would get if you got caught by Potter or one of his friends snogging in public. 

“Try them on and I’ll stop!” you said, offering him the pair of reading glasses you’d picked up during your stay at Diagon Alley despite him urging you against it. Denial was all it was, but as soon as he took your advice, he’d know you were right and use them as he should. 

Severus eyed you as he weighed his options, though judging by that smile on your face, he could tell that stubborn side of you wasn’t going to let this go until he gave in. His choices were quite limited and even he could admit when he was defeated. Slowly letting his wrist drop, he opened up his palm and motioned for you to hand him those _vile_ things, already dreading how ridiculous he’d look wearing them. 

“I try them on, and you never bring it up again, right? You’ll stop this... foolishness?” He asked, gesturing to your current sitting position, as he held the right arm of the glasses between his thumb and index finger. The way he looked at the glasses in his hands, the tone in his voice, it was as if he was about to risk his life by trying them on. Smiling, you subtly nodded your head in encouragement, holding his gaze for a moment before watching him slowly slide the glasses on. 

You bit your lip in excitement, unable to hold back your growing smile as you waited for those curtains he always kept in his face to pull back. Time taunted you as the moment slowed enough to test your patience. But you did your best to stay composed though it took all your willpower not to lift up his chin yourself and ask him if the glasses helped his sight as you’d intended it to. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, his eyes met yours and you could hardly keep yourself from jumping in glee. The thin black frames complimented his eyes and the square like shape fit so well with his narrow face. Considering his lack of cooperation when you’d dragged him into that shop at Diagon Alley, you’d done a rather good job picking something out for him. 

“Well?” You asked with elation spilling out of your throat. “Do they help?”

You dragged over the book you’d previously thrown on the table and opened it to a random page, practically shoving it into his chest for him to read. Severus let out a small huff of air when the hard edges of the book hit his ribcage. Shaking his head at your inability to contain that growing ball of pure enjoyment inside of you, he looked down at the book in the hopes of getting this over with sooner rather than later. He was counting on your promise to drop this subject the second he proved you wrong. But as he looked down at the pages, the words suddenly became too blurry to read as he held it close to his face, he realized there was just one flaw in his plan; those atrocious spectacles you’d handed him actually bloody worked. In disbelief, he slowly started pushing the book back, the words becoming clearer the further they got.

Clearing his throat, he looked away, feeling a little embarrassed at all the push back he gave you over those damn things. They actually worked, just like you’d claimed yet he had to put his own pride fist and reject your persistence, brushing it off as insolence instead. But what was he supposed to do? Wear glasses and give Potter _more_ reasons to make fun of him? Surely these bloody things looked ridiculous on him. Everything he wore always did. 

“They do don’t they!” You said, ecstatic to see the look on his face when he pushed the book back and straightened his back. Severus turned back towards you and squinted. Your features seemed sharper somehow. The (Y/E/C) in your eyes brighter than usual. Removing those wretched glasses, he looked down at them, trying to imagine what he’d looked like with them on.

“Yes,” he mumbled through gritted teeth, giving you the victory you knew you’d earned. Giggling, you tossed your arms around his neck, resting them on his shoulder and hugged him in delight. 

“I told you didn’t I! At least now you can read without completely wrecking your posture,” you said joyously. There were no words to describe the joy you felt to hear you’d managed to help Severus with a problem you knew he’d been denying for a while now. No matter how hard you tried, or how much you insisted, he could never seem to even consider the mere possibility that he may need reading glasses. 

But through your delightfulness, lay a small bit of worry when you saw the way he was looking at the pair you’d picked up for him; like they’d been a curse forced on him to endure for the rest of his life. Your heart began to sink as you hooked a finger under his chin and lifted it to see the sadness hidden behind his eyes, worried he wasn’t a fan of the style you’d picked out. 

“(Y/N), I can’t wear these,” he whispered, his tone carrying nothing more than utter disappointment. He knew all you wanted was to help him, that you could look past the hideous clothing he’d previously worn, the pants that were too short for his long legs, the stringy hair he could never seem to keep clean for more than three hours. But he still couldn't help but think that one of these days, it would all be too much for you and he’d find you abandoning him, pushing him away just like everyone else he'd surrounded himself with. 

“Why not?” you asked. He could hear the drop in your spirit form the tone in your voice. He hesitated, his eyes avoiding yours out of something that felt like a cross between guilt, shame and regret. Whatever it was, it had Severus holding back. He didn’t want to disappoint you further when he’d already brought down your mood. In fact, the longer he sat here in his own sorrow, the more he realized how absolutely absurd his excuse really was. 

“Because I look ridiculous with them on,” he whispered before meeting your gaze once again, waiting for whatever reaction you were about to give him. In actuality, what was truly _ridiculous_ was his lack of trust in you. How long have you both known each other, yet he still doubted your support for him and against better judgment, his mind had led him down thoughts of nonexistent humiliation and laughter. 

“How in Merlin’s name would you know that Severus?” And of course, your true response had proven him completely wrong. You didn’t laugh at him, you weren’t upset with him. You were simply sympathetic for his concerns as you always were. Severus felt the light brush of your fingers against his palms and looked down to see your fingers gently taking the glasses from him and slowly placing them back on. He closed his eyes as they settled into place over his hooked nose, your fingers lingering in his hair before he felt them running along his hairline. He opened his eyes to see your bright smile and admired eyes. “I think you look dashing.”

Severus didn’t fight the smirk that made its way across his face. He was proud of the love he had for you and wanted to cherish every flutter he could get when you spoke to him like that to remind himself of how lucky he was to have you in his life. But when you leaned in closer, your hands resting on his chest, your head tilted, he couldn’t help the compulsive need to hide your love from those who could destroy it rise in his chest, his hands instinctively grabbing your arms and pushing you back. 

“You promised you’d stop!” 

“Fine,” you said casually and removed yourself from his lap, sitting yourself back in your own chair. You never understood why Severus was so adamant on keeping your relationship a secret, unable to even risk a small kiss in the corner of the library. Still, you respected his wishes and, in all honesty, you kind of enjoyed that protective side of his. But would it kill him to let you help him for once? That’s all you’d wanted to do when you bought those glasses and now that you knew they actually helped, how could you just stand by and let some silly insecurity he’d suddenly made up stand in his way? “Sev, please wear them. Just when you’re reading, that’s all I ask.”

“You realize I spend most of my time reading if I’m not with you.” Severus said as he removed his glasses and went to take your hand in his. He let his thumb gently run over your knuckles, smiling to himself as he thought about your adamancy. No one had ever cared for him as much as you had, not his mother, not any of his Professors and certainly not Lily. Merlin only knew what he’d done to deserve your care though it clearly didn’t come without certain repercussions. The moment he’d looked back up at you, that sweet pleading look on your face, your wide eyes, slightly pouted lower lips and furrowed brows, he felt his heart melt as it always had when you looked at him like that. “Fine.”

Your lips immediately stretched into a content smile as you watched him put the glasses back on.

“Happy?” He asked. You rolled your eyes at that sarcastic tone in his voice and watched him settle back into place, flipping through the pages to find the spot he’d left off. You knew how much he hated being stared at, but you couldn’t help your eyes linger. He was finally reading with the book away from his face, his back straightened against his chair and his hair resting on his shoulders as it should be. Peeling your gaze away from him, you went back to your own textbook, dragging over your scrolls and quill to continue working on your paper. 

Change wasn’t always easy for Severus, especially when it came to his own persona, so you were not only grateful for the willingness you saw him give today, you were completely and utterly touched by his faith in you. Your heart fluttered at the thought of him stepping out of his comfort zone for you and as much as you loved him for that, you just couldn’t help the joy at the thought of him finally keeping his books levelled at a reasonable position when you read in his arms. As much as you enjoyed reading with him, it got a little tedious each time he’d bring the book up to his nose when he was having a particularly hard time reading. 

“Hello,” said a familiar smooth voice. You looked up to see Connor placing his bag on your table, Severus seemingly just as startled as you. His hair had fallen over his face, his hands shooting up to remove his glasses as he turned away from your Ravenclaw friend. 

“Hello Connor,” you said, greeting him as he settled into a seat across from you. Your eyes turned back to Severus and you saw a small glimpse of his flushed face behind his black curtains. He was embarrassed! Even after he’d agreed to wear those glasses, he still couldn’t get over the ludicrous idea of their hideousness. At least you’d made some sort of progress today and perhaps, with time, Severus would come to see the beauty hidden behind his insecurities as you did.


	10. Every Moment with You is Precious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor asks if you will stay at Hogwarts over the holidays and it strikes a nerve with Severus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: tiny bit of naught touching

You wondered at times if Connor ever picked up on the slightest hint of your relationship with Severus or if he was completely oblivious to the multiple slip-ups you’d made over the few months you’d known him. Either way, you were getting more than a little tired of sharing what was supposed to be your time alone as a couple with Connor. It was bad enough he’d managed to join you both as you studied together, but did he really have to follow you on your way to class too?

“But anyways, I wanted to ask if either of you would be staying at Hogwarts over the holidays,” he said. Your mind had honestly trailed off the second Connor began conversing with Severus about the potion you’d been working on in your N.E.W.Ts class. You just couldn’t be bothered with something that only brought you stress to think about but mention of the holidays definitely brought back your attention. Your mind wandered to the dream of you and Severus enjoying one another’s company away from most students as you had over the summer. Two full weeks alone, spending it during such a joyful time of the year. 

“We both are,” you responded a little reluctantly. You weren’t sure why he’d brought up the holidays, but you had a feeling whatever the reason wasn’t going to sit well with either you or Severus. 

“Oh!” Connor exclaimed happily, a hint of shock present in his tone. “I’m surprised to hear that. Most people head home for the holidays and I, in fact, normally do, but my parents are on a business trip to South America right now and they won’t be back until the New Year so I figured I’d stay here for Christmas.”

You looked over to Connor and smiled, a small bit of disappointment hidden beneath your eyes. Hanging your head, you looked away in the hopes your true reaction to his news would go unnoticed. You liked Connor, you really did. It was nice to have someone other than Severus to spend your days with and you were happy that Severus had warmed up to him, but this was the first time you were to spend the holidays with Severus as a real couple. It was a chance for you both to make up for the loss of last year’s Christmas and one you’d both been looking forward to for a while now. 

The school would be fairly empty, and you’d have the place to yourselves; an entire castle for you to roam at your own leisure, no homework to concern yourselves with, Quidditch on pause, no urgent responsibilities pressing on you. All your focus was supposed to be on Severus and your relationship together but with Connor here, you weren’t sure how likely these fantasies were anymore.

“How… wonderful.” You didn’t even bother looking up at Severus, you could tell he was even more irritated with the news than you were and that was before Connor confirmed what you’d feared he’d suggest. 

“Well perhaps we could spend Christmas together? Perhaps head down to Hogsemeade and spend the day there?”

“They don’t allow Hogsmeade trips over the holidays. But they do remove the house tables in the Great Hall, so we can all have dinner together,” you said before Severus could have another word. You had to fight the urge to shun Connor and ban him from spending Christmas with you like you knew Severus would have done, but it was hard to be kind to him when you were forced to give up such a romantic time with Severus. Still, you didn’t want to be rude, especially when neither of you shared the desire to tell Connor about your relationship. “Why don’t we open presents together in the Great Hall Christmas morning.”

Severus almost burst into a complete fit when you’d mentioned sacrificing Christmas morning all to please someone he could barely tolerate. You’d promised him this friendship wouldn’t come between you both and though he could see you’d previously kept your word, he felt as though the invitation you were currently extending crossed a line. 

“You’re heading to the greenhouse aren’t you Connor?” Severus interrupted as you all came to a halt in front of the entrance to the dungeons. The look on his face, the tone in his voice was absolutely treacherous and you knew the second Connor left, he’d voice his protest about what you’d just agreed to with zero restraint. 

“Yes, I am,” said Connor as he looked down the hall where Severus had gestured. “I suppose I’ll see you both after dinner.”

The second Connor began making his own way to class, Severus turned on his heel and walked down to the dungeons at an alarming rate, only slowing down when he looked back and saw you’d lagged behind. He led you both to an abandoned hall and stood there with his arms crossed, brows furrowed, looking as though you’d done something awful to offend him. 

“Before you start,” you said, holding your hands up in front of you as if such a gesture would do you any good. “Remember what I said about Connor being our friend.”

“ _Your_ friend (Y/N). He’s _your_ friend, not mine,” he said, emphasizing the word ‘your’ as if that would change your perspective. Sometimes you weren’t sure why you still continued to try and reason with him when he did such a great job of denying his own feelings towards other people. Then again, he did eventually open up to you so perhaps your efforts wouldn’t be completely lost on him. 

“That’s not fair Severus, I know you’ve both spoken with one another without me present and as much as you want to deny it, I know you enjoy his company as he does yours!” Judging by his crossed arms and rolled eyes, your words had bounced right off him. You’d failed at making a dent in his attitude towards Connor and you were beginning to think this was a battle you would never win. 

“(Y/N), I don’t want to spend Christmas with him!” He exclaimed with a puff of air. Frowning, he looked back at you and slowly began to wrap his arms around your waist, pulling you into his chest as he tried his best to keep from shouting. He didn’t want to fight, he didn’t want to argue with you and despite what you’d clearly assumed, he understood the need for friends though he personally wouldn’t have chosen someone as clingy as Connor. But it wasn’t about him. It wasn’t even about your wish for him to expand his social circle, it was about you and your relationship with him. “This is our first _real_ Christmas together, our one chance to do as we please over the Holidays and I don’t want to spend a second of it with anyone but you.”

You looked up at him, his eyes pleading for your understanding and his tone softening your stance. You let your hands slowly trail up from his wrists until they rested on his shoulder. It always filled your heart with joy to hear Severus care so much about you and your love for him, but as unfortunate as it was, you didn’t live in a world that stopped because you wanted to spend Christmas alone with each other. The world wasn’t going to cater to your absolute needs and so you had to try and help Severus compromise for the sake of his own resolve. 

“I know Sev,” you said as you gently lay a hand over his jaw, your thumb comfortably sweeping his cheek. “But we have to be realistic here. Either we accept a few hours with him on Christmas, or we tell him about our relationship, and I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not have that conversation with Connor.”

Severus leaned into your touch, your arm wrapping around his neck and bringing your bodies closer. Your lips twitched into a warm smile and with a soft sigh, he let go of the fantasy Christmas day he’d envisioned and accepted the reality you offered instead. His gaze dropped a moment as you both stood there in silence, secretly comforting the other for the alone time you’d just agreed to giving up. You knew this was going to be much harder on Severus than it would be on you and you only hoped that spending the evening with him on Christmas would make up for your lost morning. He already had such a hard time with holidays, loneliness his only company throughout his years and you’d promised yourself you’d never let him feel unwanted like everyone else in his life had. 

Grief was really the only way to describe how he felt in this moment. He felt like someone had just stripped away ten years of his lifetime by simply asking him to give up two hours on Christmas morning with you. It wasn’t fair. He’d been looking forward to this day for so long, more than he’d ever care to admit to you, but deep down he knew you were right. He knew you were only trying to be civil but that didn’t mean he couldn’t protest. 

“I could always lock us up in the Slytherin common room next time you sneak in,” he offered, lifting the mood with a joke that only carried a sliver of truth. Though the more he thought about it, the more he’d begun to see its benefits. He was after all, the only Slytherin in his dorm to ever stay at Hogwarts over the holidays and with your new status as an Animagus, he was sure you’d manage to easily sneak in without arising suspicion. 

“Don’t be daft Severus.” Your words dismissed his offer though you smiled nonetheless. It wasn’t a terrible idea, not if you’d planned it so you each had an excuse to stay in throughout Christmas, but you knew no matter how much you’d wished to take back the day, you were wrong to do so. But it definitely never hurt to dream. 

“I’m completely serious (Y/N),” he said, mimicking your smile and wondering if you’d ever truly consider hiding away with him. You’d already spent so much time alone with him already, reading, cuddling and exploring one another’s bodies, it wouldn’t be a complete jump in your relationship if you’d spent one lousy day locked in his dorm. But he knew better. He knew that caring side of yours he admired so much would win in the end. Truthfully, he’d always counted on your kindness to inspire him and lead him through the world, something he wished he could have leaned on growing up. But that didn’t matter now, his past was behind him and you were his future. 

“Spending an hour, maybe two with him in the morning won’t kill you Sev, and after that, we can hide away all you like.” You bit your lip and looked at him with pleading eyes, hoping he’d accept your compromise. 

Severus pressed himself against you as you slid your hand into his hair, your fingers weaving themselves between his locks. He stood there, taunting you with his silence as if he was heavily weighing his options. Staring into his eyes, you could tell you’d convinced him to take part in a shared civil Christmas morning, but of course, his pride had to stand in the way of simply agreeing to your statement. 

“If that’s what you want then fine. But I won’t do it without protest,” he finally spoke. 

“I would expect nothing less.” You rolled your eyes and shook your head at his response. His attitude was quite stubborn at times, but that didn’t stop you from gripping the strands of hair between your fingers and pressing your lips to his. He didn’t hesitate to kiss you back, all his worries and frustrations melting away as he indulged himself in the affection you offered. Your free hand slipped from his shoulder, down his chest to hook two fingers around his belt and pull him closer. 

He felt a spark of lust ignite his need for you, the small moan he gave, muffled by your lips, betraying his composure. He felt your lips twitch into a smile against his and decided if you were happy to tease him when you both should’ve been making your way to class right now, then he’d have no problem teasing you right back. With one hand travelling to rest on your lower back, he let the other find the hem of your skirt, seeking the skin underneath. Gently, he edged a foot between yours, his thighs pressing against your uniform as he parted your kiss and began to trail his tongue down your jaw until he heard a small whimper escape your throat when he found that sensitive spot on your neck. 

You’d been so distracted by the suction you felt at the croak of your neck, you’d almost missed the icy touch of his slim fingers creeping up the back of your thigh and resting beneath your bottom. He took his time enjoying the cushion of your behind as he continued working on your neck, each shiver your body made fueling him further. He’d never felt so driven to mark you before, perhaps out of anger towards a certain Ravenclaw or perhaps it was something more, something he’d held back since the day in the rain before your first Quidditch match. He wanted you, all of you, and he could no longer imagine going a single day without you in his heart. 

“Severus,” you whispered in desperation when he squeezed your arse, suddenly feeling very exposed as you realized where you were. A wandering student, or worse, a staff member, could stumble upon you at any moment and you were far from ready to face that embarrassment. 

He seized his hands from their place, his lips leaving your skin when he sensed the hesitation in your tone and took a small step back. His hands quickly found your as your eyes met, a smile settling on his face. 

“Ready for class then?” He teased, pushing back your hair and smirking at the mark he’d left behind. 

You immediately swatted his hand away, fixing your hair and adjusting your clothes, praying it would be enough to keep attention off of you as you made your way to class. Severus followed as you led the way out of the dark hallway towards your Potion’s class, stuffing his hands in his pocket and proudly displaying his half smile. You sighed with relief at the fact that you’d at least managed to brighten his mood and hoped your evident need for his affection was enough for him to understand how much your time together meant to you despite offering to sacrifice some of it to Connor. 


	11. All of You*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the first day of the holidays and you enjoy the morning waking up next to Severus in his dorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Smut (dry humping, oral sex)
> 
> Oh man, I can’t believe we’ve managed to make it to the first smutty chapter (I hope it turned out ok 😣). For anyone who doesn’t like smut, all smutty chapters are skipable. Nothing important to the plot will occur so you can simply head to the next chapter.

You hadn’t bothered to head back to your own dorm last night and Severus hadn’t made the effort to ask, secretly hoping you’d spend the night with him again so he wouldn’t have to wake to an empty dorm. And though he’d gotten exactly what he’d wished for, you’d woken up first to the rustling sounds of his dormmates gathering their belongings and making their way down to the Entrance Hall to catch the Hogwarts train back to London. The cold air of the dungeon nipped at every inch of your body. How Severus managed to sleep through the drop in temperature and the reckless noises was beyond you. Nevertheless, you were thankful the holidays had finally rolled around and already you were happy with the gift you were about to receive if those bumbling fouls ever managed to organize their trunks to close them properly and leave you in peace. Though you really weren’t one to make a fuss when it was you who’d been invading their space and sneaking into their dorm. 

It took everything you had not to sigh in frustration. All you wanted was to start your holidays with Severus as the entire school was preparing to do and yet it seemed his Slytherin peers stayed behind with the simple goal of agonizing you. You could hardly take the noises of frustration coming from the other side of the green curtains keeping you hidden from the rest of the world. You really weren’t sure who felt more tortured right now, you or the boy who was missing half his brain trying to close his trunk stuffed with what was likely to be trinkets and nonsense bought from Hogsmeade with his parents money. 

Closing your eyes, you slowly took a deep breath in before carefully propping yourself up and rolling over to find the little heat radiating off of Severus. You wrapped your arms around him and lay your head on his shoulder, snuggling yourself into his sprawled-out hair as your knee snuck between his. Wrapping your legs around his, you clung onto his body and once again closed your eyes as you settled into place. You focused on his steady heartbeat and let the warmth wash over you as you tried to tune out any unwanted noise. Still it was no use. The halfwit was still adamant on bringing home everything he’d tried to stuff in his luggage despite his friend’s advice on leaving a few items behind. 

Finally, you heard him give in, a sigh of despair filling the room followed by the click of his trunk and the sound of the dorm’s door closing shut as the remaining two Slytherin boys left. You spared no time as you immediately jolted up and straddled Severus, planting kisses all over his neck until he finally stirred awake. Connecting your lips, you swallowed his moan before he could even open his eyes, parting only when he’d grasped a sense of reality and realized where he was. Gripping your arms, he pulled you up and stared at you, wide eyed and completely baffled by your courageous actions. 

“Don’t worry,” you said, biting your lip as you smiled. “They’ve all gone.” You knew exactly where his mind went the second you felt his hands tighten around your arm like that, but he should know to trust you by now. After all, it was you who’s punishment would likely lead to expulsion if you were ever caught on rival territory. 

Severus relaxed as you reassured him of your privacy, letting his hands drop down your arms and resting on your bare thighs. He knew how much you detested the cold humid air in the dungeon, always commenting about how you couldn’t wait for spring to roll around, but he had to admit, having you in his bed half naked definitely had its perks. And if you were truly bothered by the temperature, he had no problems snuggling up to you and casting a mild heating charm over the covers. 

You slowly began to move your hands up his chest, following the subtle path of hair until you’d reached his shoulders. Dipping down, you arched your back and lay your arms flat against his chest, feeling a shudder ripple through him as your skin met his. Severus watched you intently as you hovered your lips inches away from his and felt his heartbeat begin to chase the anticipation you gave. He thought his heart would leap out of his chest when you simply bit down on his lower lip, grazing it ever so gently as you tugged and released him with a small giggle. 

You could feel your elation grow when he gave the smallest whimper as you pulled back. His hands travelled up your thighs and gripped your hips, displaying his eagerness as his nails dug into your skin. You began moving your crotch against his, grinding against his pelvis, watching the excitement wash over his face. Continuing your slow, steady pace, you focused on his touch; his cold fingertips travelling to squeeze each cheek, his bulge continuing to harden, rubbing against your clit, the heat rising from his chest beneath your hands. 

He moaned at the feeling of your panties dampening from the friction, eager to find you as excited as him. He looked up at you and squeezed your arse in the hopes that you’d go a little faster only to be denied his silent request. You offered him a gentle smile instead, moving your hands to rest on his lower stomach, your thumbs sneaking beneath the waistband of his pajamas, slowly rubbing gentle circles over his abdomen. 

Small whimpers escaped his lips. He could hardly take your teasing, his cock completely strained between layers of fabric and the even pressure you provided. Looking down where your body met his, he watched you move against him a few times before he found himself moving his hands up your sides and beneath the shirt you wore, grazing your heated skin. He smiled to himself, wondering if you’d intended to initiate this pleasurable moment simply for the sake of increasing your body heat. 

He grinned and let out a sigh as his hands finally rested next to your breasts, his thumbs grazing and exposing their undersides. His hips jolted beneath you in excitement, his eyes glued to the little skin of your breasts exposed from the shirt he’d continued to let you borrow. He was completely beside himself with lust and could think of nothing but what lay beneath the fabric he’d yet to remove. 

“(Y/N),” he whined in desperation, pleading for you to finish what he started and fasten up your pace. You moaned as you reached for his wrists, your hips beginning to pick up speed as you continued to grind yourself against him. Pressing on his wrists, you guided his hands to fully encompass both your breasts, his nails digging into your skin the second you’d released them. He eagerly watched you as you quickly removed the shirt from your shoulder and tossed it aside. 

“Oh, Sev!” You threw your head back as he pinched one of your nipples, tugging on it while he squeezed your other breast. Severus moaned loudly as your pace fastened once again and he couldn’t keep from pulling himself up and taking one of your nipples into his mouth, sucking and grazing it with his teeth as he knit the other between his thumb and index finger. 

You arched your back and buried your fingers in his hair as you felt the knot in your stomach tightening. Your breath hitched as your heart beat aggressively against your chest, Severus’ arms slithering around your waist as you got sloppier with your movements. Finally, you let out a whimpering moan as you felt your insides explode with pleasure, release washing over you. Severus let out a small gasp against your skin when he felt your hands grip his hair tighter as you began to slow your motions. He looked up at you as you stopped completely, huffing in exhaustion, trying to catch your breath. His cock twitched in protest beneath you and he felt himself struggle to keep his composure, the only thing keeping him from whining in complaint was the sight of your flushed face and bare chest. The way your eyes flickered, your mouth hung half open, heat radiating off you, emulating the orgasm you’d just experienced. It was definitely a sight he didn’t mind seeing first thing in the morning. 

You bit your lip in embarrassment, though happy to see the small smirk across his face as you look at him. You could hardly move knowing how sensitive you still were ,but you could still feel how hard he was beneath you and could only imagine the strain he was feeling right about now. Leaning forward, you sat up on your knees, removing yourself from him and attached your lips to his. Passionately kissing him as your hands roamed down his chest, pushing him back against the bed. His hands immediately went to grab your waist, feeling a spark travel through his body as you parted and began trailing kisses down his jaw and towards his neck. 

You only stopped a moment when you got to the crook of his neck to leave a small mark before continuing your path down towards the center of his chest. You could feel his raging heartbeat under your hands as they lightly brushed down his skin to follow your lips. Severus shuttered, his breath hitching when you reached his abdomen and hooked two fingers at the waist of his pajamas. You looked up for a moment and watched him prop himself up on his elbows to watch you before gently tugging down on the waistband, your heart racing as you began to reveal his cock. 

The second you exposed the tip, his cock sprang up, fully hardened and larger than you’d expected. Severus hissed at the cold dungeon air prickling at his cock. He missed the heat of your clit rubbing against him, the warmth and security of the layers that separate you both. His eyes had closed shut a moment as he tried to adjust to the temperature only to feel your fingers curling around him, the warmth of your palm a pleasant feeling. You waited for his eyes to meet yours, hoping you hadn’t pushed too far only to be met with a pleading, lusty look when they finally opened again. 

You watched his chest heave as you began to move your hand up the length of his cock and back down again. You started at a slow pace, similar to the speed you’d taken when you were atop him. His mouth was gaped open, his evident struggle to continue watching apparent on his face as his head tilted back a moment. When you began to squeeze and twist your hand, speeding up your motions, he could hardly take the sensation and closed his eyes as his head was thrown back, his hair falling down his back like a bursting waterfall. 

You smiled at the glow of his pale skin, wondering how often he would let you see him in such a state. If only he understood how much you loved him, how much you’d give for him. You were elated at the simple fact that you were the one that could make him feel this way. That he’d trusted you enough to pleasure him in a way no one else could. You were the only one that would see him this way; skin flushed red, covered in love marks, twitching beneath you as his body pleaded for your touch. You could hardly contain your joy at the thought, knowing how secretive he liked to be, how much you both trusted one another. 

His hips jolted up as you fastened your speed, trying to buck into your hand. You placed your free hand on his hips and pushed him down to keep him still when you suddenly felt the dampness of his precum as your thumb swept across his tip and smeared it across his length. You looked up at him, his head still thrown back, his chest rising and falling at an alarming rate before you leaned down and took the tip of his cock in your mouth. 

Severus gasped, his eyes shooting open as he looked down to see you running your tongue up the length of his cock only to wrap your lips around his tip again. He felt your tongue lapping around him as you hallowed out your cheek. You grazed the slit at the end of his head before taking his cock as far down your throat as you could. He was a moaning mess while you reached down most of it, your hand covering the rest of his length to meet your lips. You slowly began to bob your head, sliding your tongue against him as you moved, doing your best to keep your teeth from meeting his skin. 

“Ohhhhh (Y/N)!”

You moaned as the sound of your name escaped him in such a lustful, needing tone. The vibrations against your throat had Severus struggling to keep his composure any longer. He wiggled beneath you, his toes curling as he grabbed hold of the sheets under him. You could tell he was close, his cock pulsating in your mouth as you moved as fast as you could, encouraging him to let go as you had done grinding against him. You moved your hand along with your lips, trying to show your gratitude for the most explosive orgasm you’d ever felt. 

It took all of three strokes of your tongue against the underside of his shaft for him to cum, his seed spilling in your mouth as you continued to work him through his own orgasm. He let out a deep groan as he came and for a moment, he thought his cock would never stop pulsating. Once he’d collapsed onto the bed, you removed yourself from him, swallowing his load as your hand continued to slowly and gently stroke him. You ran your tongue over his tip one more time, a moan resonating from his throat as you tasted the last bit of cum that drizzled from his cock. You smiled at the sight of his flushed face, sweat running across his hairline. 

Crawling back up his body and straddling him once again, you looked down as you continued to stroke him gently with his cock against your pelvis. Severus had already begun to go limp but even half hard, you began to wonder how deeply he could reach inside you as you looked down, his cock in your hand, held up against you. Slowing to a stop, you tucked him back into his trousers and looked up to see the most delightful smile you’d ever seen splattered across his face, eyes shining brighter than ever as they pierced yours. 

You smiled back, a small chuckle escaping your lips as you readjusted to lay beside him. Shifting over, he pulled the covers over you before reaching for your waist to press your chest against him, a thin layer of sweat merging your bodies and gluing you together. You withered your arms around him while he quickly pressed your lips together as your heartbeat slowed to a regular rate. 

“Can we start each morning like this?” He whispered, keeping his lips hovered over yours as he parted. You smiled as your eyes fluttered open, his barely visible through his eyelashes. The bliss you felt after your high, the love for you radiating off of Severus, was definitely a feeling you wouldn’t mind experiencing _every_ morning. 

“Well, now that you mention it,” you said, biting your lip as you smiled mischievously. “I was hoping perhaps we could try something else… something more.”

Severus stared at you blankly as you waited in anticipation for an answer, your cheeks burning red with embarrassment for the obscene suggestion you’d made, yet you hoped he felt the same way for you as you did him. You knew you wanted more, you knew you were ready to trust him with everything but with the way he’d been acting in public lately, you just weren’t sure he was ready to do the same.

“Really?” He asked, his tone displaying nothing by pure genuine love for you. He was surprised if anything about your blunt statement yet overjoyed at the fact you loved and trusted him enough to give him such an intimate part of yourself. He couldn’t express in words how much he cared for you, how he wanted nothing but the best for you and he’d continued to live his life this past year with your wellbeing in mind, wanting to better himself for you, to be worthy of your relationship. Doubt always stayed planted in his mind no matter how he tried to prove himself but if what you both felt for one another wasn’t enough to justify his relationship with you, he knew the locket hanging around your neck would. You belonged together, that much was clear. You completed one another, held the other up when in need of support and he knew you were at a place where neither of you ever doubted the love between you. He just couldn’t help the small pit of concern grow as he thought of what might happen if you ever found yourself disappointed by him, but perhaps it was time for a step forward. A step that he hoped would permanently unify your souls and show you just how much he wanted you in his life. 


	12. Kindness is Overrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You spend Christmas morning with Connor and Severus exchanging gifts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: A bit of naughty touching 
> 
> A/N: Wow this update is so long overdue. I should have come back to this story a long time ago, but I at the very least wanted to post a chapter before I started posting my Snape Bang entry. As I mentioned before in a previous ask, I’ll be alternating between writing a chapter for this story and fulfilling my request todo list. I’ll also be posting my Snape Bang soon so stay tuned for that. Writing this chapter, I realized it’ll take me a bit of time to get back into this story and I’m so sad I missed the opportunity to post this chapter on Christmas. There’s even a chapter coming up focused on Severus’ birthday and I know I won’t be able to post that any time soon, but that’s okay. It’ll just be a delayed celebration. I hope you enjoy and I hope my posting rate will increase this year (low key new years resolution?) compared to the last.

Severus was so insistent yesterday on spending the night in his dorm despite the fact you’d done just that every day for the past week. You’d begun to cherish your mornings together and couldn’t imagine any reason why last night would be any different, but you had to admit, waking up today felt nothing like it had this past week. The warmth of Christmas morning enveloped your body as you felt the gentle brush of slow, sensual kisses trailing across your neck and collarbone. It was nothing like the last few mornings you’d spent together, and you understood why Severus was so persistent yesterday, constantly making sure you were planning to sleep beside him.

“Happy Christmas,” you mumble through your sleepy state, your eyes open just enough to catch the light of the morning, your fingers twirling around strands of Severus’ hair as he continued to press his lips to your skin. This holiday was always meant to bring people such joy and year after year you’d see families gathering, friends exchanging gifts, an overall feeling of love and joy passed from one person to the next. But it was never a holiday you’d found yourself caring for. Last year you thought the Yule Ball was your one chance to experience what everyone else felt this time of year, but it wasn’t until this morning that you’d understood why Christmas was such a special holiday. 

“Happy Christmas,” Severus whispered into your ear before lightly grazing his teeth against your earlobe, teasing you as he let one of his hands travel up from your hip to your waist, resting against the side of your breast. Pressing his knee between your legs, he moved to press as much of himself to you as he could. With your chest against his, your hands in his hair and his lips finally meeting yours, he felt his heart swelling with such glee. He’d been looking forward to Christmas all year, needing it to be perfect to make up for what he’d done last Christmas. He wanted to please you, to show you how much you meant to him as best he could tonight, starting with the passion he put into your morning kiss. 

You blinked away your sleep as you parted, your eyes finally meeting his, your hand slipping from his hair to rest on his jaw. You smiled as you felt yourself floating in bliss, feeling guilty about having to ruin this wonderful morning by telling Severus you’d have to meet Connor for breakfast in the Great Hall. the idea of bringing it up to Severus these past few days had loomed over you, saddening you when you saw how happy he was to be spending so much free time together over the holidays, you didn’t want to ruin it. 

“What’s wrong?” Severus saw the burden in your eyes, worried he’d already done something to ruin such an amazing day. He propped himself up on his elbows and peered down at you, studying your face as he waited for an answer. 

“It’s nothing-”

“No,” he interrupted you before you could even try and come up with an excuse, anything to explain your sudden shift in mood without upsetting him. “I know that look, something is troubling you. Tell me (Y/N), you know I’m here for anything you need.”

Your lips stretched into the widest of smiles, elated by his words. He’d been so supportive this year, your rock to lean on, someone you knew you could go to with anything and you loved him more for that. It was hard to tell him the truth now, knowing he’d do anything to protect your happiness only to have you turn around and snatch his away from him.

“Okay, don’t get upset but-” you pushed him from over you and sat up against the wall. “I told Connor we would spend Christmas morning with him.”

“(Y/N)!” You could already see his anger bubbling to the surface as he sat opposite to you, his fingers running quickly through his hair like they always had whenever he was stressed. Your heartbeat fastened as you so desperately hoped to salvage the moment, your hand finding his, squeezing it tightly.

“I’m sorry! I know how much you wanted to spend the holidays together, but we couldn’t avoid him forever Sev.” You leaned into him and let one hand slowly rub up and down his bare arm, trying to assure him the day was not lost. “Please don’t be mad at me, it’ll only be a couple of hours.”

Severus took a deep breath before looking up at you, the corner of his lips twitching into a subtle smile. He couldn’t believe you’d asked that of him when he knew very well there was nothing you could do to make him mad at you. Of course he was upset this day wouldn’t be absolutely perfect, but he would never hold it against you, nor would he blame you for wanting to brighten the day of everyone around you with the privilege of your company. 

“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” you offered with a sly smile as you crawled out from under the covers and over his lap. You settled atop him, wrapping your arms around his neck, his hands slipping from your legs and over your pants, resting on your waist under the shirt you wore. Pressing your lips to his, you sealed your promise with a kiss, happy to see your morning plans hadn’t ruined his mood.

“We should get dressed,” you whispered as you trailed kisses down his jaw, one hand gripping his hair. You felt his own hands slither to your back and press you against him, lifting your shirt up as they rested between your shoulder blades. You loved the feeling of his skin against yours, especially with the contrast of the cold dungeon air, but you knew if you didn’t get going now, Connor would start to suspect there was something between you and Severus. There were times where you thought telling Connor the truth would make life much easier, but every time you thought of saying something, you could only imagine the abandonment he’d feel knowing two of his friends were dating and you couldn’t do that to him, especially on Christmas day. 

“I never thought I’d say this, but I cannot wait to spend our next Christmas away from Hogwarts.” You chuckled, taken back by his words, never thinking you’d see the day that Severus Snape would prefer spending his time _away_ from Hogwarts. Slipping off his lap, you took his hand and smiled knowing you were the reason he was happy enough to find a home outside of Hogwarts. You stood in front of the bed, Severus joining you before he reached into his trunk and handed you your uniform. 

You both got dressed, Severus taking his time, knowing now there was absolutely no rush to start the day since he’d be forced to waste hours of it in the company of others. You watched him lean back on the bed when he was done tying his shoes, smiling at you as if you’d just returned from class, ready to call it a night and cuddle with him. Shaking your head, you grasped his hand and pulled him off the bed, dragging him out of the dorm until he finally stopped resisting, trying to enjoy the last few moments he’d get to hold your hand before you both found yourself in the Great Hall. 

It wasn’t until you’d stepped through the large doors you realized you’d spent longer than usual in the Slytherin dorm this morning, everyone else already present, seated at the table. Two empty seats stood waiting for you beside Connor and without a second thought, you sat next to him, placing yourself between Severus and Connor. The feast began and you enthralled at the food appearing before you. You’d always loved Christmas at Hogwarts, but nothing could ever compare to this year’s Christmas, the feeling of love, care and acceptance flowing from one side of the table to the next. House rivalry was forgotten, and all sat at the same table as equals. 

Severus did his best to engage in conversation with you and Connor. He wanted to see you happy, glad you were smiling all throughout breakfast, but he felt envious. He wanted to be the sole reason for the smile you wore, to be your happiness like you were his. It was selfish of him to think like this, he knew that, but he was at least glad this Christmas was going a lot better than last years. At least with Connor here, Severus was more inclined to keep himself grounded, letting you take the lead instead of jumping the gun like last year. He even felt himself enjoying a conversation with Connor, less resentful towards the fact he was stealing alone time with you until owls interrupted the feast, one landing in front of Connor. 

The box it was carrying weighed down the poor creature, struggling to keep itself upright when it finally landed. You offered the owl all the food you could grab and filled your empty goblet with water, hoping it hadn’t travelled too far to deliver whatever it was Connor’s parents had sent him. You were surprised to see Connor push aside the gift as if it wasn’t important, always assuming Christmas would mean a lot more to those with caring families. His attention instead lay on the gifts he pulled from his robes, handing one to you, the other to Severus. 

“I suppose now is as good a time as any. Merry Christmas,” he told you both as he handed you your gifts. You smiled in return and reached into your own robes to hand Connor and Severus their gifts. Connor’s face lit up, happily opening the gift you gave him, Severus feeling much less elated than him. His lips stretched into a frown as envy took him over once more. He felt humiliated for being the only one without gifts to give at breakfast and enraged that you and Connor had thought of each other when shopping for Christmas this year. He watched the boy sitting on the other side of you tear apart the wrapping paper you’d so neatly folded over the present, holding out a Herbology starter pack that you’d taken the time to buy for him. He held his breath as Connor thanked you, watching you open his gift to reveal a broomstick polishing kit. He’d been so busy drowning in his own fury, he’d neglected to open his own present, your voice the only thing reminding him of the fact that you’d taken the time to buy and wrap his gift too. 

“Sev, open it!” You pushed, unable to take the anticipation any longer. You’d put so much thought into his gift, looked everywhere for the perfect item to give him, you couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he unwrapped it. Severus’ lips twitched into a smile, his shoulders dropping as he felt himself let go of the resentment he’d felt towards this holiday and very delicately began to reveal your gift to him. “Come on Sev, the new year will arrive before you finish unwrapping it!”

Severus scoffed at your comment, but didn’t let it affect his speed, wanting to cherish this moment as much as he could and salvage every piece of care you’d put into this gift. Finally he pulled back the wrapping and his eyes were met with the most beautiful dragon scale notebooks he’d ever seen, a quill set placed atop them. His nimble fingers hovered over the items feeling completely unworthy to touch them as you smiled with satisfaction. You were overjoyed at his reaction, knowing he would love the delicacy of the items, the rich cover of the two notebooks and the intricate metal casing holding the most stunning quill you’d ever seen. 

“(Y/N), this is-” Severus was at a loss for words, wanting so badly to kiss you and spend the rest of the day simply staring at the quill and notebooks you’d bought for him. “They’re remarkable. Thank you.”

You took his hand, smiling in response as he grasped your hand and ran his thumb over your knuckles a moment before letting go. He picked up the quill set and opened it to reveal a beautiful flaming red phoenix feather quill, accompanied by four detachable tips and a self-filling inkwell. He grazed his fingers over the feather, deciding it was too perfect to ever be used. He wanted to keep this quill and the notebooks that came along with it forever, never to be tarnished, never to be ruined. The notebooks were made with the same high-quality craftsmanship as the quill, the spine carefully pressed, the covers beautifully made. They were absolutely perfect and he couldn’t have wished for a better gift.

“Well, now I’m not sure you should open my gift Severus. It’ll never compare to something like that,” Connor gestured to his gift, Severus almost forgetting he had one more present to unwrap. 

“I’m sure whatever it is, Severus will appreciate it,” you lied to Connor, knowing full well it didn’t matter what either of you gave him. Severus would cherish any present from you over anything anyone else would give him. That of course didn’t stop your curiosity as you watched Severus tear open Connor’s gift to reveal a small set of potion ingredients. 

“Thanks,” Severus mumbled to Connor with as much of a smile as he could muster. The ingredients Connor had given him weren’t cheap and he was thankful for them, but his thoughts still lingered on your gift. He couldn’t take it anymore. He’d entertained the idea of sharing Christmas morning with Connor long enough. He needed to spend the rest of the day with you alone, needing to show his appreciation and hope you’d like his gift half as much as he loved yours. “I think I’ll go drop these off at my dorm.”

Severus wasted no time gathering his belongings and jumping to his feet, his eyes briefly meeting yours as he walked out of the Great Hall. You could barely keep from reacting before you found yourself standing up as well, excusing yourself and thanking Connor one last time. You ran off before he could ask to meet in the evening and left the Great Hall after Severus. You caught up with him as he was making his way to the dungeons, seeing him stare down so intently at your gift in his hands. 

“Well, that wasn’t so bad was it?” You chuckled, thinking back to his disappointment when you’d mentioned spending the morning with Connor. You were glad to see Severus making conversation during breakfast and knew your gift would help lift his mood. You could only look forward to whatever the rest of the day had in store for you, ready to properly celebrate Christmas with Severus.

“I suppose not.” Severus pushed his gifts to one hand and held yours with the other. He gave you a soft smile as you walked down the stairs to the dungeons feeling grateful to have you in his life. He couldn’t have been more thankful than he was in this moment, but his growing love for you kept him afraid. He worried over losing you, over ruining things to the point of no return or have someone else take you away from him. He worried over Connor’s intentions and couldn’t help but nitpick on every move he made towards you.

“You know, I think Connor fancies you,” he commented casually, feeling unsettled by his thoughts. He already knew you’d think it was ludicrous and your laugh confirmed just that, but jumping to the worst case scenario in his mind was something he couldn’t help but do. He knew you loved him, he knew what you shared was real, but that didn’t stop him from assuming the worst. 

“Why because he’s nice to me?” Your laughter died down, but the absurdity of his comment kept your smile from fading. “Severus, just because a friend is kind to me, doesn’t mean they fancy me.”

He was being paranoid, and you weren’t surprised. Connor hadn’t done anything to warrant these accusations, but Severus didn’t have the best track record with the people he cared about, and you understood his hesitation to trust others. You didn’t expect him to trust Connor or to open up to him when it had taken years for you to reach that point in your relationship with him, but you hoped that he at the very least had faith in you and trusted you to do the right thing if what he claimed was true.

“Don’t be so sure. _We_ started off as friends,” Severus agued, thinking back to how kind you’d been to him when you’d first met. He hadn’t done a thing to deserve your kindness, yet you’d blessed him with it and continued to do so until you became the one person in his life he couldn’t live without. He remembered you standing by his side when everyone else turned against him after the Whomping Willow incident, not even questioning why he was there or what happened. You’d just sat there with him, comforting him while the rest of the school put Potter up on a pedestal. He remembered every kind gesture you’d ever given him, the job he’d received over the summer, the happy memories he’d gotten to build at Cokeworth because of you. He could never repay the happiness you’d given him, and he worried that Connor was now giving you what he couldn’t; a show of appreciation.

“That’s different!” you protested, dismissing his worries, finding them completely ridiculous. “Besides, even if it were true, it wouldn’t matter. You’re the one I want to be with.”

You smiled as you stepped into the Slytherin common room, making your way to the boy’s dorm. Severus immediately walked over to his trunk to put away his gifts, taking special care of your notebooks and quill as you threw yourself on his bed.

“So, where’s my gift?” You leaned back on the bed and looked down at him, smiling in anticipation. You knew Severus would only want to give you your gift in private despite the fact you’d already given him his. Even if you’d told him ahead of time, you knew he wouldn’t want to buy Connor a gift, so you decided it was best to hand him his gift with Connor’s and ambush him for your gift later.

“Gift?” Severus questioned like he had no clue what you were talking about.

“My Christmas gift!” you leaned towards him at the edge of the bed, offended he would dare forget your gift after all the thought you put into his. Your eyes widened as you waited for him to apologize and give you your gift. You weren’t at all materialistic, nor did you care for expensive gifts, but the idea of someone shopping for you, of wrapping a gift with you in mind was something you’d always cherished. You wanted to feel loved and you wanted him to take advantage of one of the only excuses he had to show his love for you.

“I don’t recall agreeing to exchanging gifts this year.” Severus smirked as you pouted, half believing his lies, acting like a child who’d received a chunk of coal for Christmas. He chuckled and gave up his ruse, pulling out a neatly wrapped gift from his trunk. He closed his trunk and walked around the bed to sit beside you before handing you your gift, watching as you smiled. You placed the gift on your lap and took care when unwrapping the paper, just as he did with yours. Severus held onto every moment that passed, watching you intently as your eyes sparkled with wonder, your heart filled with love and your smile proudly displaying your glee for him.

Pulling back the wrapping paper, you revealed a large brown photo album with gold braces on each corner. In the centre was one word, letters partially faded, written in cursive gold lettering: _Memories_. Inside were three photographs, pinned to the first page. The first was a Muggle picture, a still image of you standing with Severus in the middle of the bookshop on your last day of work. Mr. Davis had insisted on taking the image, knowing you wouldn’t come back to work for him again, but you had no idea Severus had asked for a copy, never seeing him as the type to enjoy photographs. The second was a picture of you flying on your broom, waving as you went in and out of frame. It was your first game as Captain, you knew because of the nervous look on your face, the lack of confidence that you had now. The final image was a polaroid of Severus, one he’d taken himself. You smiled as the figure in the photo waved at you, his eyes filled with love.

“Oh Severus,” you whispered as your fingers traced the border of the last image. “It’s beautiful.”

Severus smiled, delighted with the warmth in your eyes as you stared at his gift. It really wasn’t much of a present, nowhere near as expensive as yours, but when he saw the album in the window of the antique shop he passed by on his way to work over the summer, his mind going back to it all day, he knew he had to buy it for you. He knew that you’d soon start your lives together and he wanted you to keep all your memories of the life you’d build together all in one place. 

“Do you really like it?” he whispered back, a small bit of nervousness in his voice. Despite your words, he really wanted to be sure you liked his gift as much as he did yours. You tore your eyes from the album and took your hand in his, smiling from ear to ear. 

“I love it,” you assured him, tucking his hair behind his ear with your free hand. You cupped his jaw and watched a look of content wash over his face, the joy of Christmas and the love shared in your gifts enveloping you as you leaned in. Severus returned your motions, pressing his hand against yours as he tilted his head and closed his eyes. Your lips brushed against one another, his soft touch sending sparks jolting through your veins as you kissed. 

You set aside the album for now and leaned forward as Severus lay on the bed, accepting what you’d consider your second Christmas gift. He hummed in delight as he pressed you to him, wrapping his arms around you. He couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas and it seemed that all those years of wishing for a holiday where he wouldn’t have to spend it alone was all worth it in the end. He never would have pictured his wishes coming to life in such a simple way, but he was glad they had, and he was glad that they’d all been fulfilled by you.


	13. Exploration*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Slytherin boy’s dorm on Christmas day.  
> Warnings: Smut (sex, foreplay, fingering)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Once again, smut chapters are skipable. I’m still finding smut so difficult to write, hopefully this isn’t cringy? Or unsatisfying? LOL I hope they get easier to write and either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter (or the next if you aren’t a smut fan).

The dorm filled with sounds of soft, sensual kisses, moans of bliss and passion. Severus hovered atop you, his arms planted on either side as you held him close by his waist, your other hand buried in his hair, gripping it as he marked the skin on your neck. Your chest quickly rose and fell with need, your heart beating so hard you were sure he could hear it. You whispered his name as his lips trailed up to find yours, capturing them as his own hand slithered to slowly run up your side. He ran his fingers back down and pulled your shirt from the hem of your skirt, his fingertips grazing your skin with caution. Your eager reaction as you tightened your grip on the locks between your fingers encouraged him to lift your shirt, his hand grazing up to feel more and more of your skin. 

You continued your kiss, your love for one another exchanged as your hands slipped from their positions and pulled on his tie, undoing each button of his shirt one by one. Severus pressed his hips to yours, parting the kiss to watch you pull his tie above his head, discarding it with the shirt you pushed off of him. Time froze as you smiled at him, your hands slowly exploring his chest like it was the first time your fingers had felt his skin. They made their way to his shoulders and up his neck, tucking his hair behind his ears. He watched them depart from him and fall down to your shirt, undoing your buttons like they’d done to his. His eyes followed your hands as they trailed down until no more button remained, your skin peeking from beneath the white cotton fabric. He was enhanced by you and everything you were, only able to watch as you slowly pulled back your shirt to meet his, your hand disappearing behind your back. The spell broke and his eyes could no longer follow your movements as your bra fell to join his shirt. 

Your tie remained around your neck, creating a path between your breasts down to your stomach, one Severus couldn’t resist. He gently lifted your tie, his fingers lingering right above your breasts and slowly followed the trail down, leaving goose bumps in his wake, chills travelling through you until he found the waistband of your skirt. He slipped two fingers beneath the fabric as he bent down to kiss your neck, your collarbone, the centre of your chest between your breasts atop your tie. You arched your back, your breath heavy as his fingers travelled downwards, beneath your skirt to find your panties. He leaned back up with a smile, your heart raging as your hands quickly went to unfasten your tie, regretting leaving it on and missing out on his kisses. Tossing it aside, you sat yourself up and grasped his hair with one hand, crashing your lips together in a heavy desperate kiss, your groin aching with need.

Parting, Severus slipped his hand beneath you, pressed against your lower back as his tongue darted along your neck. Moans rumbled through your throat as you closed your eyes, pushing yourself up as Severus’ lips travelled between your breasts, circling one as he slowly kneaded the other. You buried your fingers in his hair as he took your nipple into his mouth, a low groan emitting from his throat, his hips pressing deeper into yours. You could feel his bulge growing in his trousers, your own desire present in the heat between your legs.

Bucking your hips, Severus mindlessly met your movements, slowly grinding into you as he moaned against your skin, grazing your nipple between his teeth as he leaned back up. He smiled when he saw your eyes closed, your head thrown back as you took in such deep breaths. He pressed his bare chest to yours and buried himself between the crock of your neck, his lips maliciously kissing every bit of skin he could reach. You brought your knees up and felt his hard cock grind against your clothed swollen nub. Eager for more, you threw your legs over him, pressing him further into you. 

“Severus,” you moaned as his pace fastened. You’d lost count of how many times you’d wasted an evening doing nothing but kissing, exploring each other’s clothed bodies, but the holidays, having the entire Slytherin dorm to yourself, brought out something you were both so desperate to explore. You were so enchanted with one another, neither of you wanted to push or pressure the other, but it seemed words weren’t needed to convey your trust anymore. There was no one else for you, and he knew that. “Sev.”

You spoke his name with assurance, gently pushing him off of you as he stopped his motions, he didn’t have to ask to know what you were thinking. Smiling, he quickly pressed his lips to yours, a kiss of certainty between you, no doubts, no hesitation. You were both ready and you both trusted one another. It felt right, like every piece in your relationship had fallen so perfectly into place. You’d both grown so much in three short years since that day in the compartment, but you hoped- you knew you’d have plenty more with him, learning more about yourselves and one another as your relationship strengthened further overtime.

Your hands dropped from where they were and down his chest until they reached the waistband of his trousers. Your legs loosened from his waist as your fingers undid his trousers, slowly pushing them down. Severus’ eyes never left yours, his breath hitching as he felt the cool air against his member. His heart raged with panic, scared of the vulnerable situation he was being put in, but fear wasn’t what he felt when he looked at you. He felt nothing but devotion for you, trust and love. 

Severus detached himself from you enough to pull his trousers and pants off his legs, feeling weaker with exposure until he saw you doing the same with your skirt and panties. He paused and looked at you with such curiosity, how sure you looked, how comfortable you were completely naked in front of him while he thought of nothing but wanting to hide his imperfections from you. The cool air prickled every inch of his skin and for the first time since the year he’d lost heat at Spinner’s End, he shivered. 

Propping yourself up, you reached out a hand to bring Severus closer to you. Feeling his own self-consciousness, you smiled, quickly kissing him, pressing your bodies together, hoping he’d relax. He never spoke about it, but you could always tell when he was feeling insecure. When he asked to buy his uniform a size up, you knew he was insecure about his thin figure. When he bought an extra strength shampoo and began washing his hair every day, a strong lavender scent always following him, you knew he was insecure about his greasy locks. When he bought a whitening toothpaste and started looking into spells to straighten teeth, you knew he was insecure about his crooked yellow smile. Each time, you told him he looked perfectly fine, that if he was worried about what you would think, then he shouldn’t buy any of those objects and each time he ignored you, trying to improve on himself nevertheless. 

Leaning up, you peppered him with kisses, pressing your lips to his neck, his collarbone, his jaw, his chest, anywhere you could reach. You felt the tension beneath your fingertips slowly ease as you continued, Severus’ muscles relaxing enough to lean into your love, letting it guide him back into the moment. He closed his eyes and focussed on your lips, how nice they felt against his skin, how gentle and caring you were, how you took your time to savour every inch of him. Slowly, he slithered a hand between you, gliding it down your side until he met your hip. Your figure felt all the more perfect, your skin so smooth bare to him, clothing no longer betraying your beauty. 

His hand rose off your hip, his fingers trailing a delicate path to your core. You gasped when you felt two slender fingers pressed against your clit, travelling down to explore your soaked entrance. Severus smiled when he felt how wet you were, how you gasped beneath his touch, the way you arched your back, your eyes closed. Pleasure coursed through you from the simple touch of his fingers, a promise of what was to come. Circling your entrance, he smiled as you moaned, your hips bucking, begging for more. Dipping his middle finger in, you gave yet another gasp, slowly coming undone as he moved so easily in and out of you. 

“Oh Sev!” you moaned, your hands grasping at his arms, desperately needing something to hang on to, your legs spreading further apart, every motion sending ripples of pleasure through you as he began to pick up his pace. Severus leaned into you, pressing as much of his body to yours as he could before he captured your lips with his. He swallowed your moans as he continued to slip his finger in and out of you, your own hands slithering between you, one reaching to stroke him, the other tracing circles on your clit. 

Severus’ breath hitched when he felt the warmth of your palm envelop him, your pace sloppy as he felt your walls flutter. He could hardly grasp how quickly things had escalated, how one moment he was nervous about giving you your gift and the next, you were completely naked, his finger pumping you as you fell apart in his arms. He felt you lightly squeezing him as you pumped his cock, your breath held as he felt your walls tightening. A knot formed in his stomach, threatening to snap until he pulled himself away, grabbing your wrist and taking deep breaths to calm himself. 

“Sev!” You shouted in shock, your release seeming further and further away as your heart rate slowed. You were so close and he just pulled away like it was the biggest mistake of his life. But it wouldn’t be the first time either of you reached your climax when things got heated between you, so you had to wonder what made this time so different? What made him pull away and deny you both release?

Truth be told, he had no idea what he was doing or how far things were supposed to get tonight, but he knew this wasn’t how he wanted it to go. He wanted to do this right, to take advantage of the spirit of Christmas, of the privacy you both enjoyed now. He wanted this a moment to be remembered, to last forever. 

“Not like this,” he whispered as he leaned back into you, kissing you, his hands gliding up your body as he settled back between your legs. He deepened your kiss and swallowed your moans of forgiveness. He felt you smiling against his lips, your arms wrapped around his neck and waist. You felt yourself melting into him as time slowed, each second filled with passion and love. His length pressed into your clit and eliciting a moan from the both of you, Severus wanting nothing more than to be yours, to make you feel pleasure no one else could give. 

Neither of you could take the anticipation any longer, your own growl of protest pushing Severus to break your kiss and lean down to feel for his wand in the discarded pile of clothing. He groaned in frustration as you giggled at how aggressively he was searching. Finally, he found his wand, smiling as he settled back into place, pressing the tip of his wand against your abdomen. Your heart beat so heavily against your chest. You were scared but excited and ready until you saw his smile slowly fade, his grip on his wand loosening as he looked like he was making a horrible mistake.

“D-do you know the spell?” you asked hesitantly, hoping this wasn’t regret you saw in his eyes. He’d always looked nervous when you tried anything new, sleeping in the same bed, exploring each other’s bodies, depending on each other for everything, but none of those times could compare to the look he carried now. He looked like if you went forward with this, you’d suddenly realize how much better a person than him you could find, that you deserved better. You couldn’t let him think that way, but you didn’t want to push him either. “Or, are you having second thoughts?”

“No,” he immediately said, stilling your worries, a small smile returning to your lips as you felt relieved over his assurance. “It’s just- Are you sure this is what you want?”

All he could think of was you and he couldn’t live with himself if you ever regretted tonight, if he ever did anything to hurt or disappoint you, but you weren’t sure that could ever be possible. He had no idea that you were already his, that he didn’t even have to ask and you’d tried to show him that time and time again. It seemed however, that doubt and his own hesitation to trust others kept him from seeing what was right in front of him. 

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” you whispered, leaning forward as you grazed a hand over his cheek. You watched his expression soften as your thumb swept across his skin, your eyes offering him nothing but admiration and sincerity for him. “I love you.”

Leaning into him, you pressed your lips to his for a soft and quick kiss, sealing your promise not to let whatever happened tonight affect the way you saw him. You could only wish his insecurities would stop holding him back, stop controlling such big parts of his life. But you know acceptance would take time, that he’d need time to see himself the way you saw him. You were just glad you were here for him, that he wasn’t going through life alone thinking he was undeserving of anything resembling love. 

“I love you too,” he whispered as you parted. With a smile, he pressed his wand to your abdomen and cast a protection spell, amazed at how much you trusted him, how you never seemed to let him down, always lifting him up when he needed it. You gasped when he cast the spell, your hand replacing his wand as he tossed it aside, holding you in a panic. 

“What is it?” he asked, worried he’d hurt you in some way, that he’d gotten the spell horribly wrong and done something irreversible. 

“It’s nothing,” you said quickly, knowing he’d overreact and jump to some sort of conclusion where he was to blame for some non-existent pain. “I just felt bloated for a moment, but it’s gone.”

Severus let out a sigh of relief, his eyes roaming you, his lips forming a smirk as he returned to the moment. He watched your hands move from your stomach, slowly up to cup your breasts, squeezing them, rolling them, your fingers pinching your nipples, teasing him. You bit your lip as you saw the lust return to his eyes. How such a small action could have him completely mesmerized. Leaning down, he replaced one of your hands with his own as his lips captured yours. His hips slowly began grinding against yours, his member pressing into your clit, sliding between your folds. You bucked your hips in response, your nails digging into his side as you kissed him. You begged him for more as you moaned with such bliss, your core throbbing with the need for release. 

Planting his arms on either side of you, Severus parted from your kiss, smiling down at you with such content before he grabbed hold of his cock and guided it to your entrance. He pressed the head of his length to your hole and your heart pounded with anticipation, unsure of what to expect. He pushed in as he held his breath, already feeling your warmth around him, but he stopped when he felt your nails digging into his arms. Looking up, he saw your eyes closed, as you bit your lip and knew he was stretching you too much. He could see you were in pain and he wanted to stop, to forget it all together, but he knew that if you’d wanted that you would have told him so. Instead, he pressed his lips to yours as he quickly pushed all the way in, settling himself between your legs as he groaned into your mouth, swallowing the gasp you let out of shock. 

The kiss was over before you could even grasp what had happened. All you could feel when you opened your eyes was Severus buried deep inside you, your core pounding with pain as he looked down at you with such concern. You smiled as you reached up and tucked his hair behind his ear, beyond amazed at the fact Severus had tried to distract you from the pain with a kiss. He smiled back as he locked his position, waiting until you felt comfortable to keep going. He slowly leaned back down and began to pepper your skin with kisses, pressing his lips to your neck as he moved one hand to slither beneath you, pressing your chest to his. 

Closing your eyes, you buried your fingers in his hair and focused on his soft, sensual kisses, the pain slowly subsiding. You moaned as he reached the back of your ear, your hips bucking as your desire grew. You moaned as you felt him move inside you, Severus holding you tighter as he slowly pulled out of you and pushed back in. It felt odd at first, the feeling of him pumping in and out of you, stretching your walls and you were glad for all the previous foreplay, unable to imagine how it would feel if you weren’t as wet as you were now. As he picked up speed, shifting his position, you felt a familiar knot forming in your stomach, your heart racing, your core grasping for your climax. 

“Faster,” you whispered to him, surprising Severus with your eagerness. He tried to pace himself as he did as you asked, needing this to last as long as possible, trying to hold off on coming too soon. But you felt so good wrapped around him, so tight, so wet. It wasn’t like anything he’d ever felt before, and there were no words to describe the pleasure coursing through him right now. 

Remembering what you’d done to help stimulate yourself, Severus reached between you and pressed two fingers to your clit, rubbing sloppy circles on your sensitive nub, hoping he wouldn’t lose control before you reached your release. You moaned out his name, only igniting the sparks of pleasure he felt burst into flames as he whimpered from the sound of his name spoken with such lust from your lips. You were slowly coming apart as his pace became quicker and less uniformed than before. He was clearly trying to hold himself back, but you could feel your release building up inside you, waiting to explode. 

You loved how caring he was, how his fingers worked so hard to please you and just the thought of him feeling half the pleasure you felt now had you moaning with such bliss, your pussy dripping wet as he continued to move inside you. He pushed deeper and deeper into you with every thrust and eventually found that special spot deep inside you. You’d adjusted so quickly to him, his cock perfectly fitting inside you every time he pushed into you, the movement his fingers made, though not perfect, sent waves of pleasure through your body. 

“(Y/N), I’m close,” Severus growled into your ear, his fist grasping at the sheets beneath you like they were the only thing keeping him from coming. His eyes were closed as he tried his hardest to maintain his rhythm. You felt his cock twitch inside you, followed by a loud groan from him and you could tell he was flirting with release, begging to come.

“Come,” you told him, knowing you weren’t too far away. The second you gave him permission, you felt his cock pulsate inside you, low groans escaping his lips, his seed disappearing inside you the moment he came, an impact of the protection spell you assumed. The feeling of Severus coming, the sounds he was making as he held onto you sent you over the edge, your walls contracting around him, the knot in your stomach exploding with pleasure that felt like nothing you’d ever experienced before. 

You moaned as you both came down from your highs, trying to catch your breaths. Severus slipped out of you and you were suddenly made aware of how sensitive you were, the pain subtly returning as your core protested the emptiness you now felt. Collapsing beside you, Severus panted as he looked over to you, smiling from ear to ear. It felt so quick, like the moment had come and gone before it had even started, but he wasn’t sad. He would give up the world for how he felt right now, the glow surrounding you both as you shared the aftershock of such an intimate moment together.

Rolling over on your side, you faced him and smiled. You slowly slid your hand over his chest, a hmm rumbling through him as he looked at you, his hand finding yours. He was floating on a cloud with you, the world around him disappearing as he lost himself in you and your touch. He loved you more than he’d ever care to admit to himself. The thought of you brought him so much joy, but at the same time, sadness always lingered in the back of his mind because he knew how broken he would be if he ever lost you, how lost he would be if you didn’t look at him the way you did now. It was times like this that he held onto, cherished and kept close to help remind him of how you felt about him, how you always said you’d be there for him. 

“Happy Christmas,” he whispered to you as you reached down to pull the covers over you both, settling into his side, your hand over his heart. You could feel every beat of his heart emitted for you, like you were the only thing that kept it going, the power source that drove him to function every second of every day. 

“Happy Christmas,” you replied with a smile, closing your eyes and enjoying the moment for as long as you could. The holidays had truly been a blessing this year, the alone time you got this past week was something your relationship really needed, especially since N.E.W.Ts prep was about to commence, your Quidditch schedule taking up any free time you had. You weren’t worried though. You knew you’d make it through anything together as you had before. You had each other, and you’d never felt as close to him as you had today.


End file.
